By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ENS-PHCDA) says that the state has recorded extensive improvements in primary healthcare services and various vaccine administration and reach within the state.

“This positive development engineered by Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has proactively reduced disease burden at both rural and urban settlements in the state,” the Executive Secretary of ENS-PHCDA, Dr George Ugwu, disclosed to newsmen in Enugu on Wednesday.

Ugwu said that the state had commenced full implementation of the Basic health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) as approved by the Federal Government and massively supported and mid-wifed by Gov. Ugwuanyi.

He said: “Under the BHCPF, at least one Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in every ward in Enugu State is currently receiving serious attention and improved funding. Initial funding support of over N600,000 has been sent directly to the selected PHCs.

“This is to improve the infrastructure, provide basic equipment and drugs to ensure better service delivery.

“The traditional rulers and other community leaders are working with the ENS-PHCDA to ensure effective implementation of this new programme in Enugu State.

“The special type-3 PHCS in several council areas of the state that has been built and equipped by Gov. Ugwuanyi are now fully functional.

“Doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers have been recently employed to power these new and historic facilities.

“Over a 100 nurses/midwives and health promoters are to be engaged on ad-hoc basis through the NPHCDA gateway of the BHCPF as the implementation continues in Enugu State”.

The ENS-PHCDA Executive Secretary said that virtually all routine and newly added vaccination administered in the state had secured 100 per cent success rate in terms of target and reach.

Ugwu clarified that the state government and ENS-PHCDA had been receiving national recognition and accolades from national and international health partners for the continuous exemplary conduct of vaccination and other programmes.

According to him, we have successfully introduced new vaccines into the existing routine immunization schedule, which included Meningitis A, Measles-Containing-Vaccine Second-dose (MCV2) and Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV).

He said that the state had usually met its vaccination targeting of over 1.2 million children under five years and over two million women of child bearing age for routine immunization and supplemental immunization campaigns.

“Apart from the exemplary performance in routine and newly added vaccines, as a proactive Agency ably supported by Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, we have used vaccination to deter and also contain disease outbreaks in the state.

“In 2021, the Agency effectively controlled and prevented yellow fever outbreaks in some communities in three council areas in the state through reactive mass vaccination.

“Indeed, the Agency and the state through the funding and approval of the Ugwuanyi-led administration have been exemplary on statewide vaccination programmes.

“Even our supervisors and monitors, who are our national and international health partners, have recognised and acknowledged this through official commendation letters and other means,” he said.

Ugwu noted that the Agency had successfully implemented and also implementing other key PHC programmes at rural and urban areas, namely family planning, nutrition, integrated management of all childhood illnesses, breastfeeding and Maternal, Nursing Mothers and Child Week.

On the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination, the executive secretary said that about 300,000 residents of the state had been successful being vaccinated against the dreaded disease that keeps mutating into new variants without any casualty in the state.

He explained that initial hesitation and misinformation held the people back from embracing the COVID-19 vaccination on time with the rest of the World.

“However, we have upped the game in the direction of COVID-19 vaccination through massive rural and mass media awareness.

“We succeeded in vaccinating top leaders in the state, including the governor, his deputy, speaker, commissioners, traditional and religious leaders, as testimony to the goodness, safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine.

“We are having more people taking the COVID-19 vaccines currently even as we have opened multiple outlets for the administration of the vaccine throughout the length and breadth of the state,” he said.

Major international health partners – WHO and UNICEF – had continued to laud the state government for its giant stride in totally revamping the PHC services and vaccination programmes offered to work for the teeming population in the state.

The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) commended Gov Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi over outstanding 100 per cent performance of Enugu State in the National Immunisation Plus Days (NIPDS) campaign held between Feb. 5 and Feb. 9.

The commendation was contained in a letter signed by the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of NPHCDA, Dr Faisal Shuaib.

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