The Federal Government has expressed satisfaction with the mid-year programme review of a Memorandum of Understanding on Health Systems Strengthening, Routine immunization and Primary Health Care.
The MoU was entered into by Kaduna, Bauchi Yobe, Borno, Kano, and Sokoto states with Aliko Dangote Foundation and the Bill and Melina Gates Foundation.
The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, conveyed government’s satisfaction on Monday in Abuja at the 65th joint national briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.
Ehanire said that the achievements of the states in implementing the terms to strengthen routine immunization at sub-national levels were impressive.
“I was particularly delighted with the level of participation of traditional rulers in all the states.
“I commend the governors of these states for their increased investment in Primary Health Care, as well as Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Mr Bill Gates, for their sustained interest and contributions to support the states,” he said.
He explained that though Nigeria continues to record declining positivity rates every day, the government was still reluctant to conclude that the nation was halting the spread of disease.
Ehanire said this because some states have not sustained the testing rate that would give more assurance.
“Only 13 states, for example, reported their figures on Sunday. This can be better.
“Until all parts of the country can sustain a certain testing rate, it would seem presumptuous to conclude that we are flattening the curve.
“In the words of Tedros Ghebreyesus, the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), ‘we are not safe until everyone is safe’.
“I therefore again request our state governments to ramp up the testing momentum, so that we can together get control of the spread of this disease in our country,” he said.
He also commended the National Association of Resident Doctors for calling off their strike, and expressed hope that the Joint Health Sector Union would shelve theirs.
“The position of the Ministry of Health is that strikes by healthcare workers jeopardize the lives of citizens, especially at such times of global health emergencies as now.
“Nigeria needs the service of all her health workers, to control COVID-19 spread. Issues around allowances are multisectoral and have always been solved with negotiations, no matter how long it took.
“I acknowledge the commitment of health workers who continue to man the frontlines in the fight against this disease and use this opportunity to appeal to JOHESU to suspend their industrial action, not to erode gains we have since made in health care delivery,” he said.
The minister said that the ministry was doing all within its power to expedite processes that address the bones of contention.
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