From Muawuya Bala Idris, Katsina
Governor of Katsina State, Dikko Umaru Radda, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to sustaining the progress achieved under the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunization (GAVI) initiative.
Speaking at the handover ceremony of the GAVI Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Government House, Radda emphasized that the initiative had significantly strengthened healthcare infrastructure and vaccine distribution in the state. He pledged to ensure its continuity.
“While today marks the official closeout of the MoU, our commitment to primary healthcare strengthening does not end here. The Katsina State government remains fully dedicated to sustaining and building upon the gains achieved,” Radda stated.
The Chief of UNICEF’s Kano Field Office, Mr. Rahama Rihood Farah, who represented UNICEF Nigeria’s Country Director at the ceremony, highlighted key achievements recorded during the three-year implementation period of the MoU.
“To ensure a sustainable power supply, the state’s cold storage rooms were solarized. Additionally, 361 motorcycles were procured and distributed to improve access to hard-to-reach communities. Renovation work to make seven primary healthcare centers fully operational is expected to be completed by the end of March this year,” Farah noted.
He commended the state government for absorbing 478 GAVI-trained health workers into the state’s civil service and urged continued dedication to ensuring accessible healthcare for the most vulnerable populations.
“As we hand over the program to the Katsina State government today, UNICEF calls for continued investment of adequate resources to sustain the notable achievements recorded during the implementation of the MoU,” he added.
In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of the Katsina State Primary Health Care Agency, Dr. Shamsuddeeni Yahayya, stated that the MoU had transformed the healthcare sector in the state, bringing about a paradigm shift in PHC services.
Dr. Shamsuddeeni commended the state government for renovating and upgrading 158 PHC facilities, which included the provision of staff quarters, infrastructure, equipment, water supply, electricity, and tricycle ambulances.
“We have trained over 1,260 community health influencers and promoters, ensuring a balance between demand and supply of healthcare services,” he said.
Highlights of the event included the official handover of the GAVI/UNICEF/PHC MoU closeout document and the presentation of a donated vaccination refrigerated van to the Katsina State government.