By Ifeanyichukwu Marcus
Zamfara State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Nafisa Muhammad Maradun has urged members of the State Steering Committee on the IMPACT Project to work with urgency to improve healthcare services in the State.
Dr. Maradun, while speaking at the committee’s inaugural meeting, acknowledged delays in implementation but stressed the importance of the project in addressing challenges in immunization, child health, and maternal health.
“The need for action has never been more urgent, and the people of Zamfara depend on us to deliver the services they need,” she said.
“The IMPACT Project aims to improve healthcare utilization and quality, with a focus on reducing under-5 mortality and improving maternal health”, she said.
The Commissioner emphasized the need for unwavering commitment, coordination, and accountability from all committee members.
“Together, we can build a resilient healthcare system that will meet the needs of our people and bring about lasting improvements in their health,” Dr Maradun said.
State Coordinator for the World Health Organization, WHO, Dr. Raji, congratulated Zamfara state under the leadership of the Ministry of Health for kick starting the IMPACT project.
He reminded the committee of the importance of coordination among partners involved in immunization activities to avoid duplication of efforts.
Speaking earlier, Dr. Raji assured the committee of WHO’s continued support in partners’ coordination, supportive supervision ,monitoring and evaluation and other technical assistance towards the project’s implementation as will be required by the State, including the training of additional person for e-reporting to ensure data integrity.
He also highlighted the need to explore as part of the project implementation the need to bridge gaps in Immunisation space in the state like incinerators and cold chain equipment.
Executive Secretary of the Primary Healthcare Board, Dr. Yakubu Husaini, expressed gratitude for the Commissioner’s leadership and emphasized the importance of this inaugural meeting after some delays.
The Doctor expressed optimism for fruitful deliberations and the successful implementation of the IMPACT Project.
