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By Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
The Executive Secretary of Taraba State Primary Health Care Development Agency (TSPHCDA) Dr. Tukura Nuhu, has identified inadequate counterpart funding, lack of office accommodation and poor budget releases as some of the major challenges undermining the effective implementation of primary healthcare programmes across the state.
Dr Nuhu who disclosed this in Jalingo while briefing journalists on the achievements recorded by the agency under the administration of governor Agbu Kefas, also listed accumulated electricity bills, inadequate monthly imprest to run its activities and the cost of fuelling to maintain the cold stores among the challenges affecting its operations.
Nuhu said the agency had made significant progress in strengthening primary healthcare delivery in the state despite the challenges confronting its operations.
According to him, the state government, under the IMPACT project, has revitalised 113 primary healthcare centres, with one facility located in each ward across the state.
He added that three additional primary healthcare centres had been revitalised by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), with one facility located in each of the three senatorial zones.
He further disclosed that 13 primary healthcare facilities were currently being upgraded from Level One to Level Two under a Global Fund-supported programme implemented by UNICEF.
On manpower development, the executive secretary said the present administration had employed 450 personnel comprising community health extension workers, medical laboratory technicians, primary healthcare technicians, midwives and community nurses.
He said the government had also employed 336 staff for the state’s emergency medical ambulance services, while approval had been granted for the engagement of 480 community-based health workers.
Nuhu said the agency had also recorded progress in health planning, accountability and maternal and child healthcare through the development of an Annual Operational Plan (AOP) and quarterly reviews.
He listed other achievements to include the introduction of an accountability framework for the state and local government councils, the conduct of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) activities, and the training of 45 healthcare workers on Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition.
According to him, the state has also increased its vaccine storage capacity and maintained cold-chain equipment across state and local government health facilities.
He said these interventions had contributed to a significant reduction in the number of zero-dose children in the state, from 24 per cent to four per cent.
He also disclosed that skilled birth attendance had increased from 54.7 per cent to 74.5 per cent, indicating an improvement in access to maternal healthcare services.
Nuhu further noted that Taraba emerged as the best-performing state in the country during the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Measles-Rubella vaccination exercises.
However, despite the achievements, he said the agency continued to face serious operational constraints that required urgent government attention.
