EU Rates South East Lowest in PHC Implementation

www.odogwublog.com reports that the European Union Support to Immunisation Governance in Nigeria
(EU SIGN) Project has revealed that South East Geo-Political zone rates lowest in its scorecard on the implementation of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency (SPHCDA) as at June 17, 2015.
The Team Leader to the Technical Assistance, EU SIGN Project, Dr. Goli Lamiri said in a one day sensitisation workshop with the Policy makers in the health sector, National Primary Healthcare Development agency and participants from Abia, Ebonyi and Anambra States in Awka, that the criteria adopted by the National Health Act and Primary Health Care system which government agencies must have to develop effective quality PHC to the grass root were used in the assessment of the States’ performance.
“The criteria include a strong management and governance system, effective legislation, funding of the PHC, minimum service package and mobilisation of human resources required to deliver services to communities” he said.
Dr. Lamiri further stated that the team were in Awka, Anambra State to support the South East in partnership with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) to establish and strengthen the PHC boards in the three States of Ebonyi, Abia and Anambra for the common good of the people and PHC system.
In his presentation, the Director, planning, Research and Statistics of the  NPHCDA, who represented the Executive Director, Dr. Ado Mohammed stressed the need to bring the PHC under one roof as a way of streamlining their activities and ensuring its efficiency and effectiveness.
“Bringing PHC under one roof is a strong instrument for effective delivery in Nigeria and it will be easier for states to be in total control in terms of allocation of resources, implementation and monitoring. If PHC is allowed to be in multiple lines of authority, it will lead to waste and multiplicity of efforts” he stressed.
Earlier in his address of welcome, the state Commissioner for health, Dr. Joe Akabuike informed that their visit to Anambra State will help the government kick start the implementation of the functions of the agency in the State, pointing out that Anambra State legislatures passed the bill into law in December 2014 which Governor Willie Obiano assented in January this year.
Akabuike noted that any state that established the agency will enjoy 1 percent of the consolidated revenue and will be in better position to access loans and assistance from donor agencies-the WHO, World Bank, EUD, UNICEF among others.