As part of efforts to strengthen the primary healthcare system in Gombe State, the government through support from GAVI and United Nations Children’s Fund Memorandum of Understanding renovated 11 Local Government Areas cold stores and five Primary Health Care centres.
The renovation of the cold stores has been equipped with 140 cold chain equipment, ensuring the safe storage and transportation of vaccines to last-mile communities.
Our correspondent reports that it improved vaccine availability and reduced stockouts, ultimately increasing immunisation coverage in the state, with the PHC centres providing improved healthcare services to communities, including maternal and newborn care, routine immunisation, and other essential health services.
Disclosing this Dr Nuzhat Rafique, Chief of UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, “11 LGA Cold stores renovated. 5 PHC centres renovated. Two vehicles (Hilux) 40 motorcycles, 140 cold chain equipment procured and distributed to the 114 wards ensured improved access to potent vaccines.”
She made this disclosure on Friday during a handover/way forward event on the MoU and its achievement.
Gombe is one of the eight States supported by the GAVI-funded ‘Support to the Implementation of the Nigeria Government Health System Strengthening (Primary Health Care MoU) Programme’ between April 2022 and March 2025 to improve health outcomes for children and mothers by strengthening PHC systems and routine immunisation services.
The Bauchi Chief Field continued saying, “The renovation of these cold stores and PHC centres is a critical step towards strengthening the primary healthcare system in Gombe State. This will help ensure that vaccines and healthcare services are available and accessible to all communities, especially the most vulnerable.”
While urging for mainstreaming of the 440 health personnel Rafique added “440 trained health workers recruited and distributed to PHC facilities across the 114 wards which ensured availability of at least two skilled health workers to support maternal and newborn services across the 114 wards.”
She noted that about 24,874 vunerable women and children were enrolled under health insurance scheme in the four priority zero dose LGAs, stating that the percentage of pregnant women supported at birth by a skilled health worker increased from 21.1 to 37.9 percent between 2018 and 2024 (80 per cent increase)
Rafique added, “Percentage of women with postnatal check during the first 2 days after birth increased from 25.1 to 44.9 percent between 2018 and 2024 79% increase
“Children vaccinated with pental 1 increased from 37.3 to 66.0 percent between 2018 and 2024 (77% increase)
“Children fully immunised (all basics vaccinations) increased from 18.2 to 49.2 percent between 2018 and 2024, 170 per cent increase.
On his part, Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Yahaya, who was represented by Secretary to Government of the State, Professor Ibrahim Njodi, hailed the achievement attained from the MoU between the Gombe State Government, GAVI and UNICEF.
Yahaya said, “We are grateful for the funding and technical assistance which have helped in improving the health sector.”
