Ensuring a viable PHC our goal – Mamaye

Mamaye – Evidence for Action, a developmental organisation, said it has commenced a national training to boost civil society organisation’s advocacy and policy skills to ensure the Federal Government’s Primary healthcare (PHC) under one roof initiative takes off fully in Nigeria.
Advocacy Campaign lead, Mamaye-Evidence for Action, Mrs Fola Richie-Adewusi stated this at the opening of the first training for civil society organisations (CSO) drawn from Lagos and Oyo states in Abeokuta.
Richie-Adewusi stated that CSOs were being trained to ensure they can better engage policy makers on issues of PHC and thus ensure the domestication of the Federal Government’s policy and the repositioning of Primary Health Care in all states of the federation.
According to her, the Primary Healthcare under one roof initiative, which is aimed at ensuring one plan, one management and one monitoring system for PHC, was at different levels of implementation in different states in Nigeria.
She stated that advocacy will be used by CSOs to ensure support for the weak links the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) score card on the Primary healthcare under one roof initiative identified.
According to her, “through advocacy, they will make sure that the right things are done so that PHC under one roof is fully functional for the improvement of health of the people of the various states where these CSOs operate.
“For instance, in Oyo State, the pillar of the Primary Health Care under one roof initiative they will be considering is the repositioning of the PHC, already legislation on this had been passed.
“In Lagos, they will be looking at how to ensure local government health authority is in place. Bauchi and Niger states will be considering minimum service package.
“Gombe is looking at funding and Cross Rivers is looking at repositioning of PHC while Nasarawa and Katsina stated will be working on legislation.”
Richie-Adewusi described the PHC as the first entry point into health services in Nigeria, adding the Federal Government’s trust to make it functional will ensure accessibility and affordability of health to all Nigerians, promote preventive medicine as well as decongest secondary and tertiary healthcare levels.
Oyo State Campaign lead, Mrs Adeola Olakunle, said the training was an eye opener to how the Primary Health Care under one roof initiative can be repositioned, adding that the training will later be stepped down to other members of the collation, too.
Lagos State Campaign team lead, Mr Ayo Adebusuyi assured that the inauguration of local government health authority was in line with Lagos State Health reform law of 2006.