The President/CEO of Aides Small Project International (ASPI), an International Non-Governmental Organisation(NGO), Moses Owharo, has pledged to support Nigeria in boosting healthcare services and address challenges in the post COVID-19 era.

The ASPI Boss with its headquarters in Ghana, said this at a presentation to partner with the Federal Ministry of Health in Abuja on Friday.

He further explained that ASPI had carried out several health intervention programmes in the past, assured to partner with the ministry to do more in Nigeria.

Owharo stressed that in 2021, ASPI carried out Tuberculosis prevention and treatment, Malaria prevention and treatment projects, HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment projects with GAC and Global fund.

Owharo added that measures would be put in place to work closely with other relevant stakeholders in ensuring availability of testing kits, provision of ventilators and medical consumable supplies.

Others, he said to include technical training of health workers in the short run and the main health infrastructural development needed in the area of health facility rehabilitation, re-equipment with medical equipment in the long run.

He disclosed that ASPI had empowered people with knowledge and resources necessary to not only seek, and receive better healthcare, but also influence better health service quality, leading to higher levels of self-sufficiency.

Owharo also said that ASPI operates in two areas of social service sector, microfinance, healthcare education, agricultural and humanitarian support through her integrated finance and healthcare services,

Responding, Dr Noah Andrew, Head, Department of Hospital Services in the ministry, commended ASPI for the partnership initiative, while harping on synergy and collaboration with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency.

Andrew, also presiding chairman at the event promised to recommend to the management of the ministry that another presentation be made to the National Primary Health Care Development Agency on ASPI’s partnership with the ministry.

ASPI seeks to improve health, livelihood and create economic opportunities for women and their families, as well as reduce preventable child and maternal morbidity and mortality rate.

The Team Leader of International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Polices (FIIAPP), Mr Rafael Rios-Molina, has called for a joint effort by the public against trafficking in persons and smuggling migrants in the Nigeria.

The Team Leader of FIIAPP made the call at the end of a three-day awareness campaign, road walk and enlightenment programmes it organised in some selected schools in Awka.

Rios-Molina, who was represented by Mr Joseph Sanwo, a Senior Project Officer, Action Against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of migrants (A-TIPSOM) Nigeria.

He urged the residents to partner with the group to stamp out the menace of human trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrant in the state.

Sanwo said the group had done its best in sensitising Anambra residents on dangers and consequences associated with human trafficking and smuggling of migrants, urging them to understand that human trafficking was real.

He said that the group had visited some secondary schools in the state to sensitise the students and youths who are targets of these human traffickers on how to detect them or their agents and resist their bad offer.

“Usually these traffickers lure the youths with gainful jobs and promises of taking them abroad to secure well paid jobs, all these are deceits. We were able to enlighten the youth not to fall prey,” he stated.

Sanwo said that group had done its best with three days quality sensisitation, awareness show and points of signs to look out in persons who appears to them as friends or relatives with strange promises.

Sanwo advised parents to be weary of whom they give their children to for purposes of getting jobs in order to support them cushion the effect of economic hardship for the family.

He advised parents to ask questions from such people who visit to request the stay of their children with them before allowing such movement because most of them do not end up as promised.

Mrs Lilian Ezenwa, the National Vice President of Network Against Child trafficking, Abuse and Labour (NACTAL) described the programme as a huge success because they were able to reach out to relevant stakeholders in the issue.

Ezenwa said that the choice of Anambra for the programme was based on high reports of child kidnapping, harvesting and selling of organs, human trafficking and smuggling of migrants in the state.

She said the group had informed the traditional rulers and other relevant bodies about its findings and on how to catch up on those involved.

Ezenwa said that they visited Igwebuike Grammar School, Girls Secondary School, Awka among others to sensisitise them on the presence of human traffickers and dangers associated with such movement.

Ezenwa said that Easter celebration was around the corner and urged parents to watch out for anybody with strange movement around their homes especially those who come to rent room for couple of months in their areas.

Ezenwa urged the public to call the following telephones to alert the civil societies involved in fighting against human traffickers and smuggling of migrants in the state on 08035892100, 08035264939 and 08063940948.

The 3-day programme was orgainsed by FIIAP under A-TIPSOM supported programme by European Union in collaboration with NAPTIP and NACTAL Anambra chapter.

The Nigerian Government says it had spent N80bn to finance acquisition and installation of critical medical equipment and expansion of production lines in some pharmaceutical companies.

The Vice President Yemi Osinbajo disclosed this, at the two-day Primary Health Care Summit 2022, in Abuja.

The summit, with the theme, “Re-Imagining Primary Health Care in Nigeria,’’ is organised by the Federal Ministry of Health in collaboration with National Primary Health Care Development Agency.

The vice president said it had become imperative to appraise the key components of primary health care in the country.

He said, “So this year, and today especially, as we mark the four decades of the anniversary of the Alma-Ata Declaration on primary health care, we should reflect on the state of primary healthcare in Nigeria; tracking progress in some of the key component of primary health care especially public education.”

“The components are proper nutrition, clean water and sanitation, maternal and child health care, immunisation, local disease control, maternal and child health care, immunization, local disease control, accessible treatment and drug provision.”

“There are also the WASH initiatives especially the Clean Nigeria–Use the Toilet’ Campaign led by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources. The extensive work now being done by the National Council on Nutrition, and the National food systems dialogues and special initiatives on large scale food fortification, such as the Food Processing and Nutrition Leadership Forum led by Alhaji Aliko Dangote.’’

Osinbajo, however, said that it was evident that more needed to be done, adding that there are three critical trends of thought in re-imagining primary healthcare in Nigeria.

According to him, two examples readily come to mind and they are to “Adopt a Primary Health Facility Programme pioneered by Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede’s ABC HEALTH in collaboration with the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria, founded by Aliko Dangote, Jim Ovia and Aig-Imoukhuede.”

Osinbajo said the goal was to establish a chain of PHCs across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas and apply market-based reforms to provide low-cost health services at decent standards to the poor and vulnerable.

“The other is the EHA clinics operating mainly in Kano and Bauchi led by Dr Hananiya. Through its Reach programmes, EHA has brought effective healthcare to over 11000 people in Kano alone. The effort leverages on partnerships with non-governmental organisations and pharmaceutical companies to negotiate treatment prices and to also train community health extension workers to provide affordable primary healthcare services to people in the communities.

“Aside funds, what the private sector should bring to the task are models of efficiency and cost saving market driven ideas. On January 27, 2022, the president inaugurated the Health Care Reform Committee, a robustly constituted committee with representation from the states, healthcare related professional groups, associations and medical academia,” Osinbajo stated.

He noted that the primary objective was to reengineer the healthcare delivery system such that it can become people centric, modern and virile a healthcare system that addresses the depressing health indices frontally.

The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), has donated eight ambulances and medical equipment to the Oyo State Government, in recognition of the efforts of the government at controlling the spread of HIV/AIDS in the state.

The Director of Community Prevention, Care and Support Services under NACA, Mr Alexander Ogundipe, who represented the Director-General of NACA, Dr Gambo Aliyu, handed over the keys of the ambulances to the Secretary to the State Government, (SSG) Mrs Olubamiwo Adeosun, who represented Governor Seyi Makinde.

While taking delivery of the donated ambulances on behalf of the state government, the SSG said the focus of the Governor Makinde-led administration to revolutionize the health sector had begun to yield positive results.

Adeosun assured that the ambulances and other attached medical equipment would be deployed to the targeted facilities accordingly, noting that the state government would appreciate any assistance aimed at augmenting its efforts at improving the health sector.

In his remark, earlier, Ogundipe pointed out that the donation of the ambulances was made following Governor Makinde’s request at a meeting in Geneva, where he dialogue with the Global Fund, adding that as a result of the confidence reposed in the state and an assessment conducted on the proper utilisation of public equipment in the state so far, NACA agreed to increase the figure of the donated ambulances, as well as medical equipment that had been installed across ten facilities of the state.

The event was attended by the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Bode Ladipo; the Chairman, State Hospitals Board, Dr Gbola Adetunji and some principal officials from the State Ministry of Health, among others.

Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State in North central Nigeria, has promised to accord all the necessary support for the success of At-Risk Children Project ARC-P in the state.

Governor Sani Bello gave the assurance when he received a delegation in charge of the project led by the Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment, Hajiya Maryam Uwais in Abuja.

Governor Sani Bello who further  described the initiative as complementary to the state government’s commitment towards the well-being of vulnerable children and youth,  commended the Federal Government for coming up with such a scheme adding that it would address the plight of the less privileged children and young adults in the society.

Earlier, Hajiya Maryam Uwais explained that the Scheme which is under the Social Investment Programme of the Federal Government, is designed to empower children and young people without skills and education.

Hajiya Uwais said that one of the strategies to be used to achieve the goal of the programme is to train educated and unemployed youth in various areas such as entrepreneurship, Agriculture, financial skills, literacy and numeracy, security awareness and sports among others.

Hajiya Uwais said though the programme has commenced, Niger State Government would sign a Memorandum of Understanding that would define the roles and responsibilities of Federal and State Governments in the scheme.

So far, ARC-P has kick started in Gombe, Sokoto, Borno, Kaduna and Ekiti with more States indicating interests