The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, on Saturday, inaugurated the South-South Traditional Leaders Committee (SSTLC) on Primary Healthcare to improve healthcare service delivery in the Zone.

The Oba of Benin, Oba Eware 11, would serve as the committee’s chairman.

The Federal Ministry of Health organised the event with National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).

Inaugurating the committee in Benin, Mr Ehanire said the effort was to expand and strengthen the delivery of healthcare services to all citizens, particularly in the South-South zone and at the grassroots.

Mr Ehanire said the PHC system was the bedrock of any functional healthcare delivery system, the citizens’ first point of contact.

He disclosed that Nigeria still had among the worst health indices on earth regarding child, maternal and even road traffic accidents, despite considerable expenditure on health.

“Most of this happens in rural areas with no healthcare but plenty of ignorance.

“To change things, we must win the people’s trust, confidence and acceptance of government’s health interventions to save lives and reduce illness.”

The minister noted that similar committees were inaugurated in the North in 2009 to encourage vaccination uptake, which lagged seriously behind in the face of rampant vaccine-preventable diseases.

He said though the nation made significant progress in improving primary healthcare services with the revitalisation of more PHC centres, access to healthcare in the rural areas remained a major challenge.

The executive director/CEO National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib, urged traditional rulers to give priority to issues of Primary Healthcare and promote immunisation in their various communities.

Mr Shuaib noted that a sustainable primary healthcare delivery system was crucial for enhancing the wellness of the people at the grassroots level.

He reiterated the commitment of the federal government and NPHCDA to continue to provide safe and effective vaccines for preventable diseases.

He assured that NPHCDA would ensure regular consultations and empower the traditional institution with credible information on immunisation, and the status of other PHC programmes within the zone

The zonal director, South-South NPHCDA,  Josephine Obayagbona, said the traditional institutions would help strengthen the health system and foster community participation. 

(NAN)