10,000 Kwara residents get free care under EU health intervention

About 10,000 Kwara residents have accessed healthcare services free of charge under an EU-supported health intervention in the state, as the government increases its financial commitment to the health sector.

The intervention also reached 35,796 people through community mobilisation and generated 12,264 referrals to health facilities, according to figures presented during a review of the EU-SARAH partnership in Kwara and made available to journalists in Abuja.

The review focused on the progress recorded under the intervention and measures to sustain the gains through stronger state financing, improved coordination and greater local ownership of health programmes.

Speaking at the meeting, the Kwara State Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina Ahmed El-Imam, disclosed that the proportion of the state’s budget allocated to health had risen from about four per cent to 15 per cent in 2026.

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“Kwara has made consistent progress from about 4 per cent of the budget and, in 2026, it’s 15 per cent of the budget,” El-Imam said.

The Commissioner acknowledged that budget releases were not always 100 per cent, but said actual releases had increased year-on-year over the past seven years.

She said the state was also working towards a partnership model based on mutual contribution rather than prolonged dependence on external support.

Presenting the programme’s results, the Director of Public Health at the Kwara State Ministry of Health, Dr Oluwatosin Fakayode, said 35,796 people were reached through community mobilisation, resulting in 12,264 referrals to health services.

He said about 10,000 people had also accessed healthcare services free of charge through project support.

Fakayode listed other interventions under the programme to include the deployment of 100 community midwives, expansion of nursing training, support for family planning, enrolment of vulnerable groups in health insurance schemes and mentorship for primary healthcare facilities.

The programme has also supported the state’s efforts to improve health data and move from paper-based to digital health systems.

According to Fakayode, the state is increasingly using health data to guide decision-making and target areas requiring greater attention.

He cited Ilorin and Moro local government areas as areas identified for particular attention based on their contribution to maternal mortality.

He said the state had also developed a roadmap for transitioning from paper-based to digital health systems.

The Head of Partnerships at the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Massimo De Luca, said the review provided an opportunity to assess progress under the health partnership and examine how the broader EU-Kwara relationship could respond to the state’s priorities.

“Part of the objectives of this visit is to understand how we work on the broader partnership between the European Union and Kwara,” De Luca said.

He noted that EU and EU Member State engagement in Kwara extended beyond health to areas including energy, skills, agriculture, civil society, peace and security.

De Luca welcomed the state’s increased commitment to health financing and stressed the importance of strong systems, accountability and local ownership in sustaining development gains.

“Thank you so much for this very encouraging vision and account of what you have done,” he said.

The review also featured the perspectives of young people, with the representative of adolescents in Kwara and Speaker of the State’s Children’s Parliament, Fauziyyah Alaaya, welcoming their inclusion in health interventions.

“I want to acknowledge the European Union for this laudable initiative,” Alaaya said.

She called for continued participation of young people in the state’s health response, stressing the need for timely action as the population becomes increasingly youthful.

“Our population is getting younger, and we cannot afford the luxury of time,” she said.

The review reinforced the need for stronger domestic financing, improved health systems, and greater local ownership to sustain the gains recorded through development cooperation in Kwara State.