By Hassan Zaggi
In the next four years, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) will be focusing on strengthening the PHC system in order to deliver affordable, accessible and equitable PHC services.
The Executive Director of the Agency, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, disclosed this during the 2020 Agency’s Service/Productivity Awards and Send Forth Ceremony, in Abuja.
According to him: “In 2021 and beyond, we will be focusing on PHC system strengthening through a robust PHC revitalization agenda of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“My vision in the next 4 years is to strengthen PHC systems to deliver affordable, accessible and equitable PHC services to all Nigerians. It is in this light that we will be convening a global PHC Summit in 2021 with a theme ‘Strengthening PHC towards achieving universal health coverage in post-Polio, Peri-COVID era’.
“The overall goal of the summit is to galvanize stakeholders and present a compelling investment case for PHC financing, leveraging on the gains made during the polio eradication to strengthen PHC systems from 2021 to 2030. I am optimistic that this event will be a success and a global agenda to be reckoned with.”
The Executive Director further noted that despite the challenges posed by Covid19 pandemic and the euphoria following polio certification, his greatest assets remain the staff of this agency.
“People who continued to work day and night, putting in their best during the lockdowns, working amidst tight schedules, working from homes to ensure we achieved all we did within a very short period of time.
“Notably, we developed Covid19 training manuals, protocols for our primary health workers and community volunteers in order to improve knowledge of Covid-19, improve proactive case management, reduce transmission of the disease and so on.
“Our idea of a rebranded and digitalized NPHCDA is one that has exceptional group of civil servants who are dedicated, hardworking, transparent and patriotic. You guys are my heroes.
“In all the years of my private and public career, I have not seen this high-caliber of amazing individuals in public service driving the Agency forward in ways that were unimaginable. You guys are rock stars,” he said.
