Delta State has received N618, 836million ($400,000) from the Primary Healthcare Leadership Challenge organized by the Nigerian Governors’ Forum in collaboration with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for outstanding performance in primary healthcare management.
The award which was organized by the governors’ forum, the Federal Ministry of Health, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and UNICEF was in recognition of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s initiative in the health sector for the past one year.
Vice President Kashim Shettima and the Chairman of the governors’ forum, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq of Kwara State were present during the handover of the prize money to the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Onojaeme and the Director -General of the Delta State Contributory Health Commission, Dr. Isaac Akpoveta.
The award which started in 2019, is to shore up performance at the primary healthcare level by states so as to make healthcare more accessible to the people at the grassroots.
It is the first time since the inception of the awards that Delta State would be considered for mention in any category of recognition. Also, it had never won any prize money.
Read also: Groups alert to dangers, threats of plastic pollution globally
Receiving the award, Dr. Onojaeme said that the award was a proof that the Gov. Oborevwori administration’s more agenda is on course and yielding positive results.
He disclosed that Gov. Oborevwori’s determination and commitment to revamping the health sector was not in doubt, adding that the recent approval for the renovation of over 150 primary healthcare centers must have been pivotal to the state earning the award.
Delta State was considered for the award after a visit of the technical committee set up to assess the state of primary healthcare centres in all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The committee comprised representatives of the Federal Ministry of Health, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF, the World Health Organisation (WHO), the World Bank and the United Nations Food Programme (UNFPA), among others.
