The government of Gombe State has introduced a contributory health scheme to help residents address out-of-pocket payment for medical bills.

According to the government, the social health programme, which is being managed by the Gombe State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (GoHealth), was part of the state’s efforts to support the global campaign on universal health coverage (UHC).

The agency was established after legislative deliberation and a law that was signed by Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya soon after assuming office in 2019.

Dr. Abubakar Musa, the executive secretary of the agency stated that GoHealth followed the decentralization policy of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) that paved the way for the creation of state social health insurance schemes across the country.

He explained that the aim was to ensure access to effective, qualitative and affordable health care to all residents of the state.

“This was possible through a credible and sustainable mechanism for pooling resources to finance the services, and improve access to better health care with financial risk protection.”

Abubakar stated that, with agencies such as GoHealth, families tend to be protected from the financial hardship that has to do with huge medical bills and reduce or limit the inflationary rise in the cost of health care.

He added that the programme would aid equitable distribution of health care costs across different income groups while also ensuring the provision of a higher standard of health care to the beneficiaries as well as improving and harnessing the private sector’s participation in the provision of health services.

He also me that GoHealth has so far accredited 109 health care providers in the last one year since its establishment in the state and no fewer than 70,000 people are already benefitting from the scheme.

An infectious diseases physician, Dr. Iorhen Akase, has advised Nigerians to pay attention to infection Prevention.

Akase, Head of Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Medicine, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, stated this in an interview, “That people should continue to observe personal hygiene as the country is still battling infectious diseases such as Lassa fever, and Cholera, which are major public health concerns.

“If you go to some hospitals or organisations, processes for infection prevention control are no longer there, no running water, soaps to wash hands, he stated.

“In communities, lessons that we are supposed to have learn on being conscious about hand hygiene are now being neglected.

He appealed to the government to improve public sensitisation and engage the whole of society for effective hygiene.

Akase stated that most infectious diseases can be controlled through effective preparedness and constant hand hygiene practice by citizens.

A cross section of women suffering from Vesicovaginal Fistula (VVF) in Sokoto has expressed happiness over free surgery conducted by Fistula Foundation Nigeria (FFN) to fix the problem. The women also urged other fistula patients across the country to come forward and access free services, as the condition can be repaired through surgery.

VVF is an abnormal opening between the bladder and the vagina that results in continuous and unremitting urinary incontinence.

The entity is one among the most distressing complications of gynecologic and obstetric procedures, where a woman develops a hole between the birth canal and the bladder or rectum after a prolonged, obstructed labour without access to timely medical treatment.

However, the condition can be repaired through surgery. The FFN, therefore, with support from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) conducted free surgery in Sokoto between May 23 and May 27, where 28 patients got relief and were currently recuperating at the Maryam Abacha Women and Children’s Hospital, Sokoto.

The surgery was funded by Global Affairs Canada, the department of the Government of Canada that manages the country’s diplomatic and consular relations and humanitarian assistance.

The FFN Director, Mr Musa Isa, told newsmen that the repair surgery was in commemoration of the 2022 International Day to End Fistula, annually marked on May 23 around the globe to raise awareness about VVF, with a view to finding solution to it.

Mrs Angela Azu, the Nurse in charge of the Fisula Ward at the Maryam Abacha Women and Children’s Hospital in Sokoto said that 30 patients were initially scheduled for the free surgery but two were dropped because one voluntarily withdraw, while one was not stable.

Azu said the team of specialised doctors, nurses and other auxiliary health workers conducted the surgeries and patients were all responding to treatment.

The nurse attributed the increase in cases of fistula to poverty and ignorance, as may families especially in rural settlements could not transport pregnant women to hospital in time during childbirth.

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has appealed to judges and prosecutors on diligent prosecution of traffickers and Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) cases.

The Director-General of the agency, Dr Fatima Waziri-Azi, made the plea in Abuja at the opening session of a two-day Judge’s and Prosecutors Conference on Human Trafficking.

The conference was organised by the International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIIAPP) with support of NAPTIP.

FIIAPP is a Spanish foundation providing in Nigeria the Action Against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants (A-TIPSOM) project, funded by the European Union.

Waziri-Azi said that diligent prosecution became necessary for the agency to secure more convictions, adding that trafficking was on the high side in the country.

According to her, the objective of the conference is to create a platform where the agency can interact with judges and prosecutors on issue of human trafficking.

The director-general added that the issue of human trafficking had changed overtime, from lower operations to a bigger one, saying there was need for the law enforcement agencies to revolve around the changes.

According to the DG, since inception of NAPTIP, the agency has recorded a total number of 513 convictions, of which, 16 were achieved in 2022.

Waziri-Azi added that this did not really match the target with the enormity of trafficking cases in Nigeria, but expressed optimism that the conference would open up more conversations toward achieving more.

She called on states to emulate the FCT which recently designated special judges to handle SGBV cases.

Mr Rafael-Rios Molina, A-TIPSOM Team Leader in Nigeria, disclosed that the essence of the conference was to involve prosecutors and judges basically in the target of fighting traffickers and smuggling of migrants.

He said that with A-TIPSOM determination on the fight against the menace, it was an opportunity to involve every stakeholder that would assist in winning the fight.

Molina added that the target was also to get more convictions, stressing that A-TIPSOM would continue to support government.

Justice Salisu Abdullahi, the Administrator of the National Judicial Institute (NJI), commended the synergy between NAPTIP and the institute.

He said that the synergy had recorded significant progress and would continue to move in that direction as the conference would open up the knowledge base of the judicial officers.

Abdullahi said the conference could not have come at a better time than now, given the critical role the judiciary had been playing in resolving emerging challenges faced in resolving trafficking in persons.

He said that the theme of the conference “Appreciating the Current Trends of Human Trafficking Offences in Nigeria: Focus on the judiciary” was deliberate, as it sought to further enlighten judges on the trend of trafficking and challenges.

He further said that a firm grasp of the issues would in turn enhance the performance of the courts and timely adjudication of trafficking in person’s matters that was on the rise.