15/09/2026
Abia Moves to Strengthen Primary Healthcare, Maternal Services, Adolescent Health
The Abia State Government has resolved to strengthen primary healthcare delivery across the state, with particular attention to maternal and child health, antenatal care, immunisation, emergency referrals, human resources and adolescent healthcare.
The Deputy Governor of Abia State and Chairman of the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency Task Force, Engr. Ikechukwu Emetu, made this known on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, while presiding over the third-quarter meeting of the Primary Healthcare Task Force in Umuahia.
Emetu said although the state had recorded significant progress in immunisation, disease surveillance, child health and primary healthcare delivery, considerable gaps remained which required deliberate and immediate intervention.
He said the meeting was not merely an avenue for reviewing activities but a platform for identifying challenges and translating recommendations into measurable results.
According to him, the administration would focus on strengthening maternal and child healthcare, improving completion of antenatal care visits, ensuring the availability of essential medicines and vaccines, addressing manpower shortages, improving cold-chain infrastructure and establishing a more responsive emergency referral and transportation system to help reduce maternal mortality.
The Deputy Governor also identified adolescent health, nutrition, community-based healthcare, electronic health information systems and referral mechanisms as critical areas requiring sustained attention.
He stressed that recommendations from quarterly reviews must result in concrete actions, assigned responsibilities, timelines and measurable outcomes, warning against repeatedly identifying the same challenges without corresponding improvements at the grassroots.
Emetu urged ministries, agencies and development partners involved in primary healthcare to incorporate the identified priorities into their operational plans and ensure effective implementation and regular monitoring.
“Our ultimate objective is to build a primary healthcare system that our people can trust—a system where pregnant women can walk into primary healthcare with confidence, where a child can receive required vaccines without difficulty, where emergencies are referred without delay, and where no citizen is denied essential care because of the absence of basic medicines or personnel,” he said.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the Abia State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Kalu Hulu Kalu, said the quarterly meeting provided an opportunity for stakeholders to assess achievements recorded within the preceding three months, identify areas of weakness and develop solutions for improved healthcare delivery.
Kalu emphasised that the stakeholders were not gathered to apportion blame but to examine facts and figures and collectively proffer solutions to challenges affecting primary healthcare delivery in the state.
He commended Governor Alex Otti and the Deputy Governor for their commitment to improving primary healthcare, saying the administration had demonstrated deliberate efforts towards making healthcare more accessible, affordable and effective for residents.
In a goodwill message, the Zonal Technical Officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Kelechi Onyeagba, conveyed the greetings of the agency's Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Muyi Aina, and commended the Abia Government for its interventions in revitalising primary healthcare centres across the state.
Onyeagba said NPHCDA remained committed to providing technical and programme support, in collaboration with development partners, to improve healthcare outcomes nationwide.
Representing the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Ayakeraewe Ekpoudom commended Governor Otti, Deputy Governor Emetu and the Primary Healthcare Development Agency for their commitment to strengthening the state's health system.
Ekpoudom said the regular convening of the Primary Healthcare Task Force demonstrated genuine commitment to improving the wellbeing of residents, while applauding the state for implementing the Primary Healthcare Under One Roof policy.
He called for greater attention to adolescent health and antenatal care, particularly in rural communities, and suggested stronger collaboration between the public and private healthcare sectors to improve antenatal services and health data.
He noted that many private facilities provide antenatal services to women who may eventually deliver in government hospitals, stressing that better integration and data sharing between both sectors could improve the state's health indicators.
The WHO representative also advocated measures that would encourage pregnant women in rural communities to complete their antenatal visits at primary healthcare centres.
On his part, Onyeagba raised concerns over low returns from outreach services, attributing the situation partly to inadequate funding for supervision.
He urged the state to make adequate provisions for outreach supervision in its annual operational plans to ensure sustainability whenever national-level support was unavailable.
He also called on the state government to consider the recruitment and training of community-based healthcare workers as part of its planned expansion of the healthcare workforce.
Onyeagba further urged Abia to conclude arrangements for participation in the NPHCDA programme for community-based healthcare workers, noting that other states had already commenced the process.
He also raised concerns over inadequate data-reporting tools at some primary healthcare facilities.
Representing UNICEF Nigeria's Enugu Field Office, vaccine security and logistics consultant Chukwuemeka Chukwu commended the state government for its commitment to ensuring the availability of vaccines and other health commodities at healthcare facilities.
Chukwu explained that UNICEF's Direct Delivery of Routine Immunisation and other Primary Healthcare Commodities for Efficiency (DRIVE) initiative had enhanced the delivery and visibility of vaccines and other commodities at the last mile.
He said the technology-driven system enabled health officials to monitor vaccine availability and report dysfunctional cold-chain equipment, allowing alternative arrangements to be made for vaccine delivery while facilitating action to repair faulty equipment.
Chukwu also stressed the importance of strengthening demand for immunisation services by engaging communities and encouraging parents and caregivers to take children and mothers to health facilities for vaccination.
The meeting also featured extensive discussions on improving maternal healthcare and restoring public confidence in primary healthcare facilities.
The Officer in Charge of Medical Services of the Abia State Police Command, ACP Emenike, said the low level of completion of four or more antenatal care visits remained a major concern and identified confidence in the availability of qualified personnel and emergency support as crucial to encouraging women to remain at primary healthcare centres.
He recommended the provision of accommodation for resident nurses and midwives at primary healthcare centres, reliable medical personnel, ambulance services and access to doctors in emergencies.
He also advocated a system of roving obstetricians and gynaecologists who could respond to emergencies at primary healthcare centres, including facilities where emergency Caesarean sections may be required.
Emenike further called for a stronger adolescent health programme, arguing that preventive healthcare must increasingly target young people before risky behaviours and health conditions become established.
He urged greater attention to issues affecting adolescents, including substance abuse, sexual health, physical inactivity and exposure to harmful online content, while recommending the integration of health education, sports and other constructive activities into adolescent programmes.
Responding to the issues raised, the state Primary Healthcare authorities said efforts were already underway to strengthen collaboration with the Abia State Health Insurance Agency (ABSHIA), particularly in extending healthcare coverage to vulnerable residents.
It was disclosed that 2,239 Abians had been enrolled through a Primary Healthcare Development Agency and ABSHIA initiative under the Leadership Challenge Fund, apart from enrolment through the formal sector.
The authorities also said outreach activities in hard-to-reach communities had been incorporated into existing funding arrangements, including support under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, while health officials were being encouraged to utilise the resources for their intended purposes.
On the proposed recruitment of community-based healthcare workers, the state authorities said discussions were ongoing with NPHCDA concerning the required Memorandum of Understanding.
They also disclosed that the state was working towards providing solar power systems and staff accommodation in primary healthcare centres undergoing rehabilitation, stressing that the measures would improve the functionality of facilities and encourage health workers to remain at their duty posts.
The authorities further cited the recent performance of a Caesarean section at Ohiya Primary Healthcare Centre by a roving doctor as evidence that emergency obstetric services could be successfully delivered closer to rural communities.
The meeting also reviewed issues relating to immunisation, health commodities, infrastructure, disease control, health information management, human resources and service delivery across primary healthcare facilities in the state.
The minutes of the previous meeting were presented by Ukonu Victor of the Abia State Primary Healthcare Development Agency. The motion for adoption was moved by Dr Sam Ohaeri, Chairman of the Abia State Catholic Doctors Movement, and seconded by Ngozi P. Ogunachara, JP, Director of Disease Control and Immunisation at the Abia State Primary Healthcare Development Agency.
In his closing remarks, Emetu reiterated that the government and its partners must move beyond presentations and recommendations to actual implementation and measurable impact.
He urged all relevant institutions and stakeholders to work collectively during the quarter to address identified gaps and improve healthcare outcomes across the state.
“Let us, therefore, move from presentations to implementation, from recommendations to results, and from intentions to measurable impacts,” the Deputy Governor said.
He thanked the development partners, health professionals, government agencies, security representatives and other stakeholders for their contributions, expressing confidence that sustained collaboration would help ensure that residents of Abia receive accessible, affordable and quality primary healthcare services.
