Akwa Ibom State government has expressed commitment to combating and eliminating maternal and infants’ killer diseases like diarrhoea, malaria and pneumonia, plaguing children under age five.
Towards this end, the governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has extended his administration’s hands of fellowship to the Rotary International (RI) for partnership and effective collaboration in the ongoing health sector reforms aimed at strengthening healthcare delivery.
He noted that through strategic partnerships and synergy with international organisations, including the RI, the Rotary Foundation and others, the state healthcare system would be turned around for efficient service delivery.
Governor Eno, stated this when he received in audience a delegation of the RI, led by the Trustee Chairman of the Rotary Foundation, Holger Knaack, during a courtesy visit at Government House, Uyo.
The governor, himself a Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary Club, described the initiative as a timely intervention inline with his administration’s ARISE Agenda blueprint.
He expressed appreciation to the organisation for selecting Akwa Ibom as a pilot state for the Rotary Healthy Communities Challenge (RHCC).
Governor Eno noted that the programme aligns with his administration’s ARISE healthcare initiative, which prioritises child survival and maternal health, and expressed the government’s readiness to partner with the RI, on health initiatives to improve the wellbeing of Akwa Ibom people.
He explained that his administration has built and renovated primary healthcare centres across the 31 local government areas to ensure accessible and quality healthcare for residents, and emphasised that the interventions were designed to strengthen the healthcare delivery system.
Besides, the governor revealed that the state recently awarded its largest single health related contract for the construction of an International Medical Centre (IMC), which, he noted, would redefine medical tourism in the region and position state as a leading destination for advanced healthcare services
“All over the state, we are building and renovating primary healthcare centres. Recently, we awarded the single largest contract for the construction of an International Medical Centre, to redefine medical tourism in this part of the country,” he maintained.
The Country Lead of the RHCC), Dele Balogun, said the team was in the state to support the healthcare programmes, aimed at reducing child mortality from preventable diseases such as diarrhoea, pneumonia, and malaria.
According to him, RI had trained volunteers to conduct house -to- house sensitisation and offer free test and treatments for common childhood ailments.
The RI Team Lead pointed out that the state was selected by the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHDA), and sponsored by the Rotary Foundation, for the exercise, and expressed appreciation to partners for their support.
On his part, the Rotary Foundation Trustee (RFT) Chairman, Holger Knaack, reaffirmed the Foundation’s commitment to Nigeria’s health goals and the global fight against polio.
