The Sokoto State Commissioner for Health, Dr Ali Inname, has challenged the immunisation stakeholders to work harder in order to achieve 80 percent performance of coverage target.
Inname stated this Monday in Sokoto at the opening session of the Sokoto State Council on Health meeting with the theme ‘Community Engagement as a tool for achieving universal health coverage.’
He said Sokoto state had recorded significant leap in routine Immunisation coverage from single digit 3 percent to 59 percent.
“We had single digit of 3 percent but in the first quarter of 2019, we moved to 59 percent. This important leap is the hard work of all stakeholders in the sector.” Inname said.
“Last week we received commendation letter from the National Healthcare Development Agency on the significant improvement in routine immunization.
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“The whole world now is focusing more aggressively towards achieving universal health coverage as a tool to achieving health for all.” the Commissioner said.
“Government of Sokoto led by Gov. Aminu Tambuwal has taken steps in establishing contributory health scheme as a tool to achieve universal health coverage for all residents of Sokoto state,” he added.
On the state council on health meeting, Inname said the last one was held 10 years ago.
He described this year’s meeting as a landmark achievement of the Tambuwal-led administration.
“It is the resolution of the National Council on Health that all states should have at least one state council on health meeting preceding the National Council on Health meeting to review the challenges in the states,” he said.
According to him, the Council on Health meeting will discuss policies and challenges bedeviling the health sector and come up with resolution that would improve healthcare services in the state.
He noted that it would play a vital role in delivering quality healthcare services to the people of the state.
The representative of World Health Organisation, (WHO) Dr Mayana Sanusi, said for some reasons, the state could not hold the meeting in the last 10 years but with the support of the European Union, through World Health Organisation, “we find it very important to support the state on it.”
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Sanusi said it was a deliberate move to address key challenges in primary health care, secondary and tertiary health care services.
He identified challenges at each level of healthcare service that comprised inadequate equipment, human resources, and community engagement.
” These are some of the issues that the council will deliberate on to improve healthcare services in the state.” Sanusi said.
Earlier, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health, Alhaji Al-Mustapha Othman, assured that Sokoto state would continue to abide by the resolution of the National Council on Health meeting by conducting state council on health meeting every year.
Othman said the move would go along way in ensuring quality healthcare delivery.