As the the Northeastern part of Nigeria recovers from insurgency, the worst affected states: Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe have commenced restoring the health sector, particularly the primary healthcare centers.
The insurgency which is over a decade old has seriously affected the health sector with many health centres destroyed across these states.
In 2019, a World Health Organisation (WHO) Health Resources Availability Monitoring System (HeRAMS) report indicated that only 30% of health centres in Borno were fully functional, 45% in Adamawa, and 69% in Yobe.
Adamawa
According to the Executive Chairman of the Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Suleiman Bashir, all health centres in 266 wards in the state are now fully functional.
All healthcare centres are rehabilitated with staff and facilities have been deployed.
Yobe
138 healthcare centres are functional. However, the state branch chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has asked that incentives be attached so rural women can patronize these centres.
He also stressed the need for accessibility, affordability, quality of care, reputation and convenience, and other factors that would encourage patronage.
Borno
The government has embarked on rehabilitation and resettlement of displaced persons back to their homes.
Governor Babagana Zulum disclosed that 45 new primary healthcare centres have been constructed and equipped in 19 local government areas.
He also made note of 18 healthcare centres that have been rehabilitated in 13 local government areas in the past four years.
The commitment from this administration to primary healthcare earned it an award of excellence from the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA).
