By Ndidi Chukwu
The Federal government is developing a holistic Primary Health Care policy to further re-inforce the thrust of the National Health System which recognized PHC as its cornerstone. The Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Ado Muhammad disclosed this in Abuja during a courtesy visit by a new forum of States’ Primary Health Care Boards. The Executive director disclosed that a steering committee was set up to develop the holistic national PHC policy following a ministerial approval given to the agency.
Dr. Ado who expressed great delight at the formation of the new forum called for representation of the forum of the States’ Primary Health Care Boards in the steering committee.
He recalled efforts made to encourage each state to establish State Primary Health Care Board in preparation for easy implementation of the newly passed National Health Act. According to him, 30 states now have their States Primary Health Care Boards in place, giving Taraba State as the last of such states. He disclosed that henceforth, the Agency and members of the forum would hold their meeting for PHC review quarterly.
Earlier in his remark, the spokesman for the forum of States’ Primary Health Care Boards and Director, Public Health in the Benue State Ministry of Health, Dr. Joseph Kumba said the new forum began with 4 member States last year and now has 11 member States. The States are Benue, Gombe, Kebbi, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Lagos, Enugu, Abia, Kano and Zamfara States.
Dr. Kumba gave the assurance that other States’ Primary Health Care Boards would be in attendance at the next meeting of the forum, scheduled to hold in Adamawa in June this year. He said the forum was for members to share experience, examine challenges with a view to providing practical solutions and conduct peer review on PHC implementation and activities. Dr. Kumba therefore appealed to the National Primary Health Care Development Agency to lead the platform for PHC peer review and ensure involvement of Development partners with similar objectives.
