Kwara Gets World Bank N887m To Boost Primary Healthcare

Kwara State government has secured World Bank funding for infrastructure upgrade in at least one primary healthcare facility in each of the 193 wards of the state.

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq will formally launch the programme on Monday where cheques will be presented to the benefitting PHCs across the state.

The executive secretary of the Kwara State Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Nusirat Elelu, said in a statement that the N887.8 million support comes under the Immunisation Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services (IMPACT) project, for which the government has paid a counterpart fund.

“In the pursuit of universal health coverage for Kwarans and repositioning the Primary HealthCare system to be able to meet the demands of all and sundry, the Kwara State Government along with 13 other states have secured a facility to strengthen Primary Health Care centres across the state.

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“This support is coming through the World Bank assisted- IMPACT project through a Decentralised Facility Financing (DFF), with an initial disbursement of Investment fund to one Primary Health Care Centre (PHC) in each of the 193 geopolitical wards in Kwara State. This initial investment fund is meant to support the PHCs to achieve an ideal level 2 Primary HealthCare Centre, that has the capacity to provide the basic minimum package of health services.

“The utilisation of these funds will be governed by a work plan developed by the health facility staff in conjunction with the Ward Development Committee, to be approved by the Kwara State Primary HealthCare Development Agency. This plan will take care of basic needs in the health centre, such as infrastructural upgrades, equipment, drugs, consumables, clean water sources, and security, based on identified needs.

“Furthermore, through the DFF mechanism, operational funds will subsequently be transferred quarterly to these 193 PHCs to meet the day-to-day running of the benefitting health centres. The quarterly operational fund will be jointly administered by both the Ward Development Committee Chairmen and the Officer in charge of the PHCs to foster transparency and accountability. Oversight will also be jointly provided by the National Primary HealthCare Development Agency, State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, LGA Health Authority, and the World Bank.

“Prior to the receipt of this support from the World Bank, His Excellency the Executive Governor of Kwara State, expressed interest in getting the support for Primary Healthcare Centres in the State and paid the required counterpart fund for the state to be eligible. With this support, health centres will improve in infrastructure and quality-of-service delivery. The fund will go a long way in reducing under five and maternal morbidity and mortality in the state and help to rapidly improve coverage of key maternal and child health interventions. Kwarans are welcome to a new era of improved Primary Health Care services,” Elelu said.