REPORTER: PEACE AGBO
The Abia State Steering Committee for the HOPE for Health Project and Multi-Sectoral Coordinating Structure for the Nigeria for Women programme Scale-up Committee have been inaugurated.
Inaugurating the two Committee at the Government House, Umuahia, Governor Alex Otti charged the members of the committees to see the assignment as a call to higher responsibility and greater service to the state.
The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Mr Ikechukwu Emetu, pledged the stay government’s support to the committees to enable them to achieve their various mandate.
He urged the members of the committees to project Abia positively at both state and national levels through diligent performance.
Responding, the Chairman of the Steering Committee for the Hope for Health Project, Professor Enoch Uche, said that Abia was among the first to meet requirements for the HOPE Health project by signing the Fund Release Policy and submitting its budget before January 31.
Professor Uche, who is also the State Commissioner for Health, said that the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare subsequently wrote to Governor Otti, requesting the activation of the committee.
He noted that the World Bank–supported “HOPE for Health” project focuses on strengthening human capital development, with particular emphasis on the primary healthcare sector.
For her part, the Coordinator of the Multi-Sectoral Coordinating Structure for the Nigeria for Women programme Scale-up Committee, Dr Maureen Aghaukwa, explained that the success of the first Phase of the project prompted the commencement of the scale-up phase.
Dr Aghaukwa said that the responsibilities of the committee include strengthened supervision, monitoring and accountability of activities initiated for the successful implementation of the project in Abia.
They assured that the committee would ensure full implementation of the programme to support the government’s health reforms and expand access to quality healthcare services to residents.
