By Priscilla Campbell
Niger State has been rated second after Gombe State in effective advocacy for Primary Health Care Under One Roof (PHCUOR) mainstreaming and networking that saw to the successful implementation of the nine throng approach to the proper funding and management of basic health care delivery system for citizens.
A recent survey and statistics by relevant monitoring and supervision, data collection for the 2018/2019 fiscal year indicates that Niger State came second out of 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, where advocacies for better primary health care delivery system by their Primary Health Care State Advocacy Team (PHCSAT) led to proper constitution of boards for Primary Health Care Development Agencies in the states.
Country Director, Mamaye, a civil society organisation, Dr. Tunde Segun, who disclosed this at the Agenda for PHC Advocacy Learning Dissemination meeting in Minna applauded Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) for championing the cause in speaking and advocating for better basic healthcare delivery system.
He told the one-day key stakeholders’ meeting on laying the agenda for PHC advocacy which took place at Gidan Matasa, Minna not to relent in encouraging politicians to take issues of health, particularly child and maternal health care delivery very seriously.
Segun whose organization, Mamaye, is a major frontier in advocacies for child and maternal care and other related networking for quality and affordable health care delivery system said states with CSO coalition on PHC development issues always stand shoulder high above others.
For effective basic health care delivery to thrive, Segun said all states must allow partnership with coalition of civil society groups to help press governments to properly fund, manage and staff health care centres and as well, pursue budgetary allocations, staff transfers among others.
He argued that CSOs have latitude of reach to attracting multi-lateral interventions from global key health players and donor agencies such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Roll Back Malaria, Mac Arthur Foundation among others.
But Niger State Coordinator, Primary Health Care State Advocacy Team, (PHeCSAT), Mr. Olasukanmi Kalejaiye, commended media organizations for being partners to the successes recorded by CSOs in ensuring better health care delivery system in the state.
Many advocacy programmes and repeated appeals on government and other key functionaries through the journalists’ reports, Kalejaiye said prompted the state government to constitute a new board for the Niger State Primary Health Care Development Agency (NSPHCDA).
