Abuja, 9 June, 2023 – The Chief of Workers to the United Nations Secretary-Basic (COS), Mr Earle Courtenay Rattray, has applauded Nigeria on spectacular built-in well being supply companies adopted by the nation in delivering important healthcare companies to its residents.
Mr Rattray additionally appreciated the dedication of UN employees in serving the course of sustainable improvement and well being safety in Nigeria.
The COS made the comment after the expedition on the sideline of his mission to attend the inauguration ceremony of Nigeria’s new President, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu on 29 Might 2023 in Abuja.
The COS carried out area visits throughout the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and engaged with authorities officers, stakeholders, and frontline well being staff to witness first-hand, some interventions by WHO, UNICEF, and different UN companies to assist the Nigerian Authorities and the way these investments are strengthening world well being safety and pandemic preparedness.
Throughout the tour, he visited the Wupa sewage therapy plant and the Household Well being Clinic, the place he obtained useful insights associated to WHO’s funding and technical help to capability constructing, built-in illness surveillance, outbreak response, supply of built-in well being companies and the way shoppers obtain a continuum of preventive and healing care in line with their wants over time.
Whereas on the WUPA web site, Dr Nwachukwu Theresa, the FCT Epidemiologist, knowledgeable the COS that, “WHO tremendously contributes to illness surveillance in Nigeria by offering transport logistics, technical and normative steering, capability constructing and coaching of pattern collectors, mentorship, and supportive supervision”.
Environmental surveillance screens poliovirus transmission in human populations by analyzing wastewater/sewage supposedly contaminated by human faeces.
The WUPA sewage therapy plant situated on the Idu settlement of Abuja Municipal Space Council, is certainly one of three environmental pattern websites in FCT.
Demonstrating sewage assortment for testing, the plant Supervisor, Mr Abubakar Lapai, described the operations and performance of the mimic panel, the method of environmental pattern assortment, laboratory testing, and chambers (inlet to outlet) for water pre-treatment primarily based on the WHO requirements.
Equally, on the Household Well being Clinic, Mr Rattray was given a tour of the assorted well being service supply models of the power, which embrace registry, triage, non-communicable illness screening maternal, new-born, baby well being, and group administration of malnutrition, chilly chain, COVID-19 vaccination, routine immunization, well being facility surveillance, group audio-visual acute flaccid paralysis detection and reporting (AVADAR).
After the tour, Mr. Rattray says, “I’m impressed by the extent of illness surveillance. The purpose is zero tolerance in opposition to polio and guaranteeing no baby is affected by the illness.
The UN is aiding the Authorities of Nigeria with funding and offering experience throughout the UN household. The officers and folks I’ve interacted with on the services respect the experience shared by WHO via capability constructing and on-the-job coaching,” he says.
Expatiating on the intention of the tour, the WHO Consultant and Head of Mission in Nigeria, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, says the sphere visits by the COS had been to provide him first-hand expertise of actions on the sphere which can generate high-level advocacy in direction of accelerating well being utilizing digital know-how innovation and classes realized throughout COVID-19 and polio eradication efforts to construct on experience in direction of the final mile, seen within the soon-to-be-endorsed pandemic treaty.
The FCT gained the second runner-up among the many North Central States within the Management Problem award for enhancing main healthcare companies. It was a joint challenge of the Invoice and Melinda Gates Basis, the Dangote Basis, UNICEF, and the Nationwide Main Well being Care Growth Company.
Technical Contacts:
Dr Kumshida Yakubu Balami; Electronic mail: balamik [at] who.int
Dr Zeenat Kabir ASMA’I; Electronic mail: kabiras [at] who.int