Edo govt mobilises stakeholders to deepen Universal Health Coverage in rural communities

In line with Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki-led administration’s commitment to ensure all-inclusive access to responsive, affordable and efficient health services, the state government has commenced implementation of the Community Health Influencers Promoters and Services (CHIPS) initiative.

CHIPS is a community-based initiative designed to harmonise and coordinate all community level health care interventions and services with a view to minimising duplication of efforts, reducing inefficiencies and wastages thereby ultimately increasing effectiveness.

Speaking at the inaugural engagement meeting of stakeholders on CHIPS, in Benin City, Commissioner for Health, Dr. Patrick Okundia, said the CHIPS programme will engage men and women resident in rural communities on mobilising members of the communities through awareness creation for increased patronage of available PHC services in their localities.

Okundia noted that the initiative will speed up the process of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Nigeria, noting that the programme is designed to roll out in three phases, from pre-implementation, to implementation and the monitoring and evaluation phases.

The commissioner urged participants to support the initiative’s objectives and work together towards charting a roadmap for the successful implementation of the CHIPs programme.

Executive Secretary, Edo State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Julie Erhabor, commended the efforts of the various development partners, media, and the academia for their continuous support for health programmes in Edo State.

She urged the stakeholders to continue to lend their technical, financial and logistic support in ensuring that the CHIPS programme becomes fully operational and sustainable.

Erhabor added that the programme was designed to improve the wellbeing of the most vulnerable groups, especially women of child bearing age and children under five years.

Vice Chancellor of Medical University, Ondo State, and Professor of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Prof. Friday Okonofua tasked the programme implementation unit to train the CHIPS committee members’ on how to write proposals to access grants.

Related Articles