The director general, Benue State Planning Commission, Dr Jeremo Andohol has advised stakeholders in the health sector to develop a realistic Annual Operational Plan (AOP) that will attract government support to enhance the delivery of health services in the state.
Dr Andohol who gave the advice during a training of stakeholders in the health sector held in Otukpo on how to develop the revised AOP organised by the State Ministry of Health and Human Services in collaboration with United Nations Children‘s Fund (UNICEF), reminded participants to highlight programmes that were carried out successfully in the AOP to attract more support.
This training according to the DG is to conduct the mid year review of AOP of 2023 and develop the 2024 AOP using the Revised National State Health Development Plan (NSHDP II) which will enable the ministry and its agencies to plan for the Annual Operational Plan (AOP) of 2024.
Also speaking, the Director Planning, Research and Statistics, Stephanie Anweh explained that the aim and objective of the training is to facilitate the application of the Revised NSHDP II AOP tools for developing Annual Operational Plan AOP for 2024.
She explained that at the end of the training, it is expected that all participants drawn from the health sector will develop AOP for next year to enable the state government include the health plan in the budget.
In a remark the health specialist of UNICEF Enugu Office, Dr Ifeyinwa Anyanyo enjoined participants to discuss extensively on each of the thematic areas to bring out policy documents that will speak on health issues that will attract government to improve its support to change the health indices of Benue State.
While reiterating the need for development partners in Benue to strengthen synergy and systems in emergency planning and response, the UNICEF representative encouraged all coordinators to work on AOP that will succeed by using smart indicators.
Earlier, one of the facilitators from the Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja, Dr Kelechi Obi appealed to participants to create a work plan that will not be a shopping list to achieve optimal outcome for the state.
Dr Obi said, „The National State Health Development Plan II was revised to cut out unnecessary programmes and make more practical decisions concerning the health plan.”
In her remarks, the permanent secretary, Ministry of Health and Human Services, Dr Beatrice Tsavmbu called for hard work and dedication during the training to enable the state get proper perspective of the health budget for the year 2024.
She averred that the AOP will enable the ministry to fulfill the mandate given to it by the state governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, to develop more effective ways of implementing interventions and commended UNICEF for its support to the review of the 2023 AOP and the development of the 2024 AOP.
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