From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
A Not-For-Profit organization, The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, has made fresh commitment to support the Federal Government in its quest to improve Primary Health Care (PHC) services.
The organization was particularly concerned with the yet-to-improve indices of maternal and child care which often result in infant mortality, hence it announced a partnership with the Federal Government through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) to work on modalities that would herald improved PHC services.
Director of the foundation, Prof. Senait Fisseha, announced the commitment in Abuja, on Wednesday, during a visit to the Kuchingoro Primary Healthcare Centre in company of the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate.
Prof. Fisseha noted that the partnership result in empowerment of communities, giving them the knowledge, resources and the information they need to make sound decisions about their health.
She said: “When populations are equipped with that information, irrespective of the rumours and the misinformation, they would make the right decision. Our hope is to directly fund the government in that regard and our plan is to directly align with the priorities and with the strategy of government.
“Our goal is to clearly identify areas where we can support and we see the Basic Primary Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) as a potential platform where health workers can align and rally support behind the government’s clear vision.”
She mentioned that the government is committed to prioritizing health for Nigerians. “However, with the government’s commitment, with the right skill sets that we have seen, the committed frontline health workers and the engagement of the communities we can collaborate with government to tackle these issues.”
Minister of health, Prof. Pate, commended the Foundation for its interest in improving PHC services with focus on maternal and child care.
He said: “No woman should die while giving birth. To achieve that, the care should start from the antenatal care that they receive and also the quality of care they receive in the PHC by our amazing nurses and midwives who take care of them.
“Also, working with the states and the Federal Capital Territory, the Federal Government is committed to revitalizing the primary health care system, linking it to the hospitals so that our people can, at least, have the best chances.
“A woman has the best chance of surviving, and for their children to also have the best chance of survival in the early neonatal period. To be immunized against vaccine preventable diseases whether it’s polio, measles, or even the diphtheria outbreak that currently is affecting some of the states in our country.”
He urged traditional and religious leaders to continue to educate members of their communities to understand that the intervention that the Federal Government was bringing to them was to benefit their people.
In his remarks, The Sarki Garki, Dr. Usman Nda Kupi, said that the traditional leaders have played a huge role in mobilizing the people and sensitizing them, especially in the area of health and polio vaccination.
He assured of their continuous support towards the activities of the government in delivering healthcare services to the people especially at the PHCs.
He, however, requested for more personnel to be employed in various PHC centres in Abuja and other parts of the country, stressing that PHCs need more health workers to enable discharge their duties efficiently and effectively.
“We appreciate the facilities that are already provided in several PHCs in FCT, but we also request that some of the PHCs are upgraded to secondary and tertiary health centres.
“We know that government has a lot of challenges especially in the area of fund, but we urge those that have the means to emulate the Foundation and assist in alleviating our problems”, he added
The Secretary, Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe commended the Buffett Foundation for its humanitarian efforts towards mankind and for reaching out to Nigeria.
“Right now, they are in Nigeria to give, teach, advocate, inform, educate and also communicate with our young women and even our men on reproductive rights and this includes; the support we need in ensuring that we have a fruitful and productive life in our childbearing and even after childbearing age,” she said.