Increase Funding For Primary Health Care Centres – Stakeholders

Government at all levels have been urged to prioritize and increase funding for Primary Healthcare Centers and address inadequate manpower for effective delivery of essential services especially at the grassroots.

The FCT Coordinator, Civil Society for the Eradication of Tuberculosis, Mr. Salifu Nathaniel made the call at a Media engagement in Abuja.

Mr. Nathaniel who said to address gaps in the health system especially at the grassroots there was need for strategic interventions so as to ensure efficient and effective health outcomes explained that in most primary healthcare centers in rural areas in the FCT inadequate manpower and poor infrastructure poised as a major challenge to rendering healthcare services.

Mr Nathaniel further stressed that integrating the responses of health systems by communities and CSOs will go a long way to enable stakeholders contribute their quota in achieving the desired results solicited for more collaborations for community based organisation’s implementing support for Malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS network to implement the COVID-19 Response Mechanism as well as Resilient and sustainable system for Health Strengthening, C19RM/RSSH in the FCT.

According to him “Inadequate medical equipment at PHCs hampers HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and TB management, leading to treatment failures, increased mortality rates, and extra costs. Limited equipment prompts clients to seek help from alternative sources (chemists and natural medicine vendors), avoiding proper diagnosis and treatment.”
On her part, the Chief Health Promotion Officer, Public Health Department, FCTA Mrs Deborah Azeez, reiterated commitment to partner organisations supporting at the grassroots to ensure preventative measures are in the front burner to prevent existing and emerging diseases in the territory.

Mrs Deborah Azeez, solicited for more sensitization at the grassroots to ensure preventative measures such as regular hand washing are in the front burner to prevent existing and emerging diseases in the territory.

Also speaking at the forum, the Deputy Director, Advocacy Communication for Social Mobilisation, FCT Primary Healthcare Board Mrs Elizabeth Ladipo, commended the group for the intervention said the FCT administration would not relent in its effort to cooperate with advocacy groups such as the Civil Society for Malaria, Immunisation and Nutrition, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, among others in kicking out diseases from communities in the territory.

Florence Adewale, Edited By Grace Namiji