By Eunice Nnachi, Yenagoa
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, have officially concluded their collaborative efforts with the Bayelsa State government, marking a significant milestone in strengthening primary healthcare services in the region.
The successful partnership was celebrated at an event titled “Primary Health Care MoU Initiative: Progress and Way Forward Bayelsa State.
During the event, Dr. Anselam Otobo, Chief of Field Office from UNICEF’s Port Harcourt office,
expressed optimism that the Bayelsa State government would build upon the foundation laid by the partnership, ensuring that the benefits of their collaborative work continue to reach communities at the grassroots level.
Dr Anselam further said it’s there hope that bayelsa state government will continue from where they have stopped . “The dividend of this collaboration is to make sure it continue to reach the people at the grassroots level , we have seen the transformation at this PHC and the patronage has also increased since the intervention and we do hope that this utilisation will continue to increase and the people will continue to access the different services to all the populace “.
He said, ” the state indices has increase and become better because of the intervention of the GAVI funded program, saying with the hope that the state government will to sustain the good work has been done.
Dr. Anselam urged the community to make sure the facilities are put into use and to attract more services because according to him the medical staff are always on ground four 24 hours services to be to provide quality services to the public. ” We want them to continue to protect the facilities and make use of it”.
He noted the visible transformation in primary healthcare centers (PHCs) and the increased patronage since the intervention, emphasizing the importance of sustained utilization of services by the populace.
Bayelsa State’s Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrujakpo, expressed gratitude to UNICEF and Gavi for their contributions and pledged to sustain and improve upon the successes achieved through the partnership.
Key highlights of the collaboration included, Field trips were organized to PHC Zarama, a renovated PHC, to showcase ongoing Routine Immunization (RI) service delivery, and to a renovated facility in Kaiama, Kolokuma Opokuma LGA, both supported by the PHC MoU.
A visit to the Centralized Data Hub highlighted efforts to strengthen data quality and efficiency
A visit to the Bayelsa State Health Insurance Scheme Building demonstrated strengthened financial protection for residents. A visit to Zipline Logistics showcased advancements in vaccine delivery and supply chain management.
The third day of the event included video documentaries and testimonials from the field, presentations on the impact of the PHC MOU exercise in Bayelsa State, success stories, lessons learned, and a close-out ceremony with remarks by the Executive Governor.
UNICEF and GAVI’s support for primary healthcare in Bayelsa State is part of a broader initiative to improve health outcomes for children under five.
The partnership between UNICEF, GAVI, and the Bayelsa State government serves as a model for other states in Nigeria, demonstrating the effectiveness of collaborative efforts in strengthening primary healthcare and improving the well-being of communities.
