Kwara gets World Bank funding to boost primary healthcare

Kwara State has secured a World Bank funding to support infrastructure upgrade in at least one primary healthcare facility in each of the 193 wards of the state — another fruit of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s constant payment of counterpart funds for different healthcare services.

The Governor will formally launch the programme on Monday 23rd, January, 2023, where cheques will be presented to the benefitting PHCs across the state.

Dr. Nusirat Elelu, executive secretary of the Kwara State Health Care Development Agency, in a statement made available to The Guardian on Sunday, said that the N887,800,000 support comes under the Immunisation Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services (IMPACT) project, for which the government has paid a counterpart fund.

“In the pursuance of Universal Health coverage for Kwarans and repositioning the Primary HealthCare system to be able to meet the demands of all and sundry, the Kwara State Government along with 13 other states have secured a facility to strengthen Primary Health Care centres across the state,” according to the statement.

“The utilisation of these funds will be governed by a work plan developed by the health facility staff in conjunction with the Ward Development Committee, to be approved by the Kwara State Primary HealthCare Development Agency. This plan will take care of basic needs in the health centre, such as infrastructural upgrades, equipment, drugs, consumables, clean water sources, and security, based on identified needs.

“Furthermore, through the DFF mechanism, operational funds will subsequently be transferred quarterly to these 193 PHCs to meet the day-to-day running of the benefitting health centres. The quarterly operational fund will be jointly administered by both the Ward Development Committee Chairmen and the Officer in charge of the PHCs to foster transparency and accountability. Oversight will also be jointly provided by the National Primary HealthCare Development Agency, State Primary HealthCare Development Agency, LGA Health Authority, and the World Bank.

“Prior to the receipt of this support from the World Bank, His Excellency the Executive Governor of Kwara State, expressed interest in getting the support for Primary HealthCare Centres in the State and paid the required counterpart fund for the state to be eligible. With this support, health centres will improve in infrastructure and quality-of-service delivery. The fund will go a long way in reducing under five and maternal morbidity and mortality in the state and help to rapidly improve coverage of key maternal and child health interventions. Kwarans are welcome to a new era of improved Primary Health Care services.”