…As health commissioner harps on SWAp
By Usman Usman Garba
In its bid to harmonise activities of agencies and parastatals under its supervision in the coming year to achieve one health goal, the Kano State Ministry of Health, in collaboration with Development Partners, has organized a 5-Day Health Sector 2025 Annual Operational Plan (AOP) Harmonization.
Being conducted in Kaduna State, the workshop is aimed at orienting the stakeholders on a wide Approach (SWAp), finalizing the situation analysis for the 2025 Annual Operational Plan (AOP), as well as reviewing and finalizing the MDAs’ level AOP.
It will also provide cross-validation of the planned activities across MDAs to reduce duplication and improve efficiency, ensure development partners align their plans with the AOP, and harmonize the health facilities and MDAs’ AOP into state-level AOP.
In a statement issued by the Information Officer of the ministry, Ibrahim Abdullahi quoted the Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Labaran Yusuf saying that the main objective of the workshop was to thoroughly discuss the already harmonized developed AOP of various MDAs to be in line with the Kano state government policy and the Federal government’s SWAp project.
Swap is one of the key approaches that is aimed at reducing real and under-fielder mortality and improving health outcomes nationwide.
The commissioner expressed gladness to see that the coordinator of SWAp from the national will talk on the new project, urging participants to pay more attention to comprehend what it is all about for improved service delivery in the health sector.
“You need to listen attentively to get the fullest understanding of what SWAp is meant for. By this, you will know what is expected of each MDA to effectively key in. The project has a modus operandi for MDAs to follow to access the resources allocated to each state from the federal,” he added.
Dr Labaran maintained that Kano shouldn’t be left behind because the blueprint of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf is explicit about the promises on the health sector, and the governor has started achieving some. Hence, the plans have to be geared towards achieving the blueprint.
The commissioner hoped that at the end of the workshop, an excellent AOP would come up with specifying the needs of all development partners to enable the state government to provide all the needed support.
Speaking, the Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation of the Kano State House of Assembly and also a Member of the Health Committee, Hon. Aminu Sa’ad Ungogo, lauded the ministry for organizing the workshop that will go a long way in coming up with unified and harmonized activities devoid of duplication.
He assured the gathering that should SWAp need legislation for cascading down to the state level for domestication, the house will do the needful to give all the frameworks to support the project.