Former Minister of State for Health, Professor Mohammed Ali-Pate, has stressed the need for state governments to invest more in health security through the provision of basic services for the population, such as vaccines, surveillance and training of health workers, to boost economic and national security.
Professor Ali- Pate made the call while speaking with journalists in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital, over his team’s mission to the state.
The former Minister of State for Health, Professor Mohammed Ali-Pate, who is the chairman of the Chigari Foundation, said the team is in Zamfara State, to show solidarity with the state government, and also to advance community engagement with traditional and religious leaders, to mobilize communities to receive health interventions that are life-saving for children, women and vulnerable persons in the society.
He said, a group of partners like the World Health Organization, WHO, Chigari Foundation, United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, Solena, Bill and Melinda Foundation, planned to work with the Zamfara State Government and traditional rulers, to boost the confidence of communities, to demand essential commodities that can save life.
Professor Ali-Pate said the health partners’ targets are to see an increase in routine immunization coverage, improvement in access to antenatal care and health outcome in Zamfara State, Northwest, Nigeria.
The Chief of Staff, Zamfara State Government House, Ibrahim Suleiman, who received the team on behalf of Governor Bello Mohammed, seized the opportunity to seek the support of the team, in the areas of capacity building of its health workers, equipment and disease surveillance.
The group of health partners are expected to deploy social, political capital and financial resources, to intervene in the routine immunization coverage of polio in Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara States in Northwest, Nigeria.
(Editor Paul Akhagbemhe)
