By Muhammad Amaan
The Chairman of the Borno State House of Assembly Committee on Healthcare Services, Hon Mustapha Maina Garbu, had led the leadership of the Borno State Primary Health Care Development Board (BoSPHCDB), Community of Practice members and key Routine Immunization partners on oversight visit to Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council and Jere Local Government Area.
Hon Garbu led a powerful delegation on an oversight assessment visit to Yerwa PHC (MMC) and Dalaram PHC (Jere LGA).
The oversight visit was in fulfilment of the Lagos Declaration where the Borno State lawmakers pledged to carry out assessment exercise to PHC centres in the Zero Dose Learning Hub (ZDLH) LGAs of MMC and Jere.
The Executive Secretary of BoSPHCDB, directors of the board, key officers of the board, RI partners, CoP Members amongst others were also part of the important eye-opening oversight visitations.
The LGAs Local Immunization Officers and the In-charges of the facilities visited were on hand to take the delegation round and answer relevant questions around immunization campaigns, state of power supply, human resource for health amongst others.
Health Reporters Newspaper reports that key take away from the visits was a commitment by the Chairman House Committee on HealthCare Services that his committee will pay another visit to the facilities in the coming weeks to assess the progress of the observations made and also a pledge for the committee to embark upon similar exercise across all PHCs across the State.
In a related development, the CoP leadership and members also paid advocacy visit to the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development and presented an Immunization Scorecard.
The Chairman and Co-Chairman of the Community of Practice led members of the CoP on an advocacy visit to the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Developments, Hon Zuwaira Gambo at the ministry located at the State Secretariat Maiduguri.
Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN) ZDLH Borno State Focal Person, Dr Adamu Alhassan, said the visit was to intimate the Commissioner on the efforts of the CoP since inception, to relay the message of an Immunization Champion status to be conferred on the Commissioner and to advocate for the buy in of the ministry in addressing the zero-dose burden in the State.
The Commissioner expressed delight at the efforts of RI partners working on zero dose in the State and pledged the collaboration of her ministry to address the challenges, myths and misconceptions around immunization across the zero dose LGAs.
She pledged the full commitment of the ministry to take part in every immunization activity that will change the narrative going forward.
Highlight of the visit was the presentation of the 2024 Immunization Scorecard by the CoP Leadership.
