By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The Federal Government has secured funds from the Global Fund to upgrade one general hospital in each of the 774 local councils across the country for easy access to basic services health services to the populace and to reduce burden on the teaching hospitals.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, revealed this at the Northern Traditional Leaders Committee Quarterly Review Meeting on PHC Delivery organised by the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) in Abuja.
Ehanire said the Federal Government is also working towards citing one comprehensive and functional primary healthcare in each political ward equipped with solar power, water, staff quarters, and an ambulance service in addition to
establishing 150 oxygen plants to ensure its availability at the local government level.
Furthermore, the government promised to introduce the malaria vaccine and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to protect young girls from cervical cancer, the Minister stated.
He noted that health indices in the North have improved, especially in polio eradication and routine immunisation, stressing, ” There is the need to further strengthen community engagement through the traditional leaders to ensure that our people, especially the most vulnerable are protected by being fully vaccinated against Polio and COVID-19 and other childhood diseases.”
Meanwhile, he said that the Federal Government is doubling its efforts to provide adequate quantity of COVID-19 vaccines for the country and charged Community leaders not to relent in encouraging their people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and other vaccine-preventable diseases.
