Bauchi reiterates commitment to improving primary healthcare to achieve UHC

The Bauchi State Government has reiterated that primary healthcare remains the cornerstone of its healthcare system and the most effective pathway to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

The reiteration was made by the Deputy Governor of Bauchi State and Chairman of the State Taskforce on Primary Healthcare, Rt Hon Muhammad Awwal Jatau, while speaking at the 2026 annual recognition and award ceremony held at the Banquet Hall of the Government House on Tuesday.

The Deputy Governor said, “As a government, we recognize that a strong PHC system is critical to reducing maternal and child mortality, controlling preventable diseases, and improving overall community wellbeing. This is why our administration continues to bridge robust structural policies with rapid, real-world execution at the grassroots.”

According to him, “A major milestone in our pursuit of inclusive healthcare governance today is the formal onboarding and integration of State Task Force members from the newly created Emirates in our state. Traditional institutions have always been our most
potent partners in health advocacy, community mobilization, and behavioral change.”

The STF Chairman stressed that “By officially bringing these new Emirates to the high table of the Task Force, we are
ensuring that every unique community, every ward, and every citizen across our
expanded traditional councils have a strong, direct voice in health planning and
resource allocation. I formally welcome our new members to this task force; your
leadership will be vital in driving our health metrics to new heights.”

He also noted the continued collaboration between the State Government and its valued development partners, whose technical and financial support has contributed significantly to strengthening PHC delivery in the state.

“Our shared initiatives across routine immunization strengthening, maternal and child health services, nutrition interventions, and disease surveillance are yielding highly encouraging results. Today, we will critically evaluate our operational metrics, beginning with a strict review of the action points from our Q4 2025 meeting to maintain continuity and institutional accountability,” he added.

According to him, “We shall also dive deep into our specialized health portfolios. This includes receiving essential summary updates on state-wide PHC progress, analyzing coverage gaps and direct field feedback from the July IBRA 2 immunization round, and assessing our
active disease surveillance and rapid response networks to secure our public health boundaries.”

“Furthermore, we will track the ground-level implementation of critical
lifelines, specifically the MAMII initiative, the Basic Health Care Provision Fund
(BHCPF), and the strategic IMPACT Project,” he added.

“Furthermore, I call on all Local Government Chairmen and stakeholders to intensify supervision and accountability mechanisms at the grassroots level. The ultimate
success of our PHC system depends entirely on effective implementation and
rigorous transparency at the ward and facility levels,” he added.

He added, “Let me stress the need for sustained political will, adequate funding, and efficient resource utilization. We must ensure that every single allocated Naira translates into a tangible, visible improvement in health services for our people.”

Jatau added, “As we deliberate
today, I urge all members-both our long-standing partners and our newly on boarded members from the new Emirates – to actively participate, share innovative ideas, and propose practical, localized solutions that will move our PHC system forward.”

He commended the State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, for approving and releasing ₦300m to UNICEF as a nutrition matching grant in 2025, which UNICEF matched with the same amount and used to procure vital commodities, including Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), Small-Quantity Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements (SQLNS) and Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS).

According to him, “These commodities were handed over to the State and have been successfully distributed, except for the MMS which is currently undergoing its final procurement process. Building on this success, I am proud to announce that for this fiscal year, the Governor has approved the sum of N500m for the same
nutrition matching grant, and we are actively awaiting the release of these funds to sustain our fight against malnutrition.”

“Additionally, our comprehensive health
infrastructure drie is moving at full speed, as the extensive renovation, upgrading,
and equipping of the Specialist Hospital Bauchi at the cost of

He concluded by reaffirming the unwavering commitment of the State Government to strengthening primary healthcare and improving the health and well-being of the people.

In his remarks, the Co-Chair of the STF and Emir of Dass, Alh Usman Bilyaminu Othman, stressed the importance of traditional institutions in the mobilisation and enlightenment of citizens to access quality healthcare services.

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The Emir commended the State Government for prioritising healthcare service delivery, especially primary healthcare, which benefits more people at the grassroots.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Sani Mohammed Dambam, assured that the government would continue to ensure that citizens have easy access to healthcare as an essential ingredient for promoting healthy living.

He added that reducing maternal mortality and child morbidity has remained the major focus of the administration, to ensure that pregnant women deliver safely while children under five live up to their potential.

At the end of the programme, awards were presented to health facilities that performed well in 2025 in effective and efficient service delivery.