Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has disclosed that the European Union (EU) delegation in Nigeria has provided €48 million to support Maternal, Newborn Child Health and Nutrition (MNCHN) in Adamawa, Bauchi and Kebbi States.
UNICEF Chief of Field Office (Sokoto) Mr Muhhuiden Fall, who confirmed this during the commissioning of the renovated Primary Health Care Centre at Takalau community, in Birnin Kebbi local government area, said the funding took effect from November, 2015 and will last till 10th of August, 2020.
“In supporting the state implementing high impact interventions that seeks to contribute to addressing the sub-optimal health status for women and children, especially in hard to teach settlements, the EU delegation in Nigeria has provided €48 million to support Bauchi, Adamawa, and Kebbi States through the EU-MNCHN project, which will last for 4 years from November 2015 to 10th August, 2020,” he said.
The project titled ‘Support to strengthening Primary Health Care and Community Resilience for Improved Maternal, Newborn Child Health and Nutrition (MNCHN), outcomes in Adamawa, Bauchi and Kebbi States of Northern Nigeria’, would address issues related to primary health challenges, Fall noted.
“The project is aimed at achieving increase in the proportion of poor, marginalised, rural women and under five-year-old children with increased access to and effective utilisation of high impact and nutrition intervention.
“It’s also aimed to improve the functionality of health service provision for health facility, outreach and community-based services in 225 wards in Kebbi State through capacity building, supplies of commodities and equipment and upgrade of targeted primary health care facilities.”
Fall, who commended the state government for releasing the N100 million counterpart funding for the project, said that 41 primary health centres in the state have been earmarked for the 3 phase renovation, while 21 had their WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) facilities rehabilitated.
The project would also strengthen coordination, policy and institutional framework to scale up, sustain and replicate MNCHN intervention, he added.
Kebbi State Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, while speaking at the occasion, urged the community, especially the youths in the area, to utilise the primary health care centre fully renovated by the development partners.
Earlier, the wife of the Governor, Dr Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu, commended the UNICEF, EU, and other foreign partners for their contributions to the improvement of the state’s health sector.