Despite concerted efforts targeted at getting rid of them by health practitioners, debilitating ailments remain a profound problem globally, because a growing number of them are becoming harder to treat and the common approaches to curing them have become less effective.

For the fact that stubborn problems require stubborn solutions, Ayodele Herbals Psychotherapy Centre has introduced a new programme to tackle ailments that defy all known solutions to nip them in the bud. It is the new Disease Reversal Programme.

The Disease Reversal Programme seeks to offer holistic wellness to individuals who have lost confidence in the regular treatment options as it has been discovered that most health issues come from both the mind and the body. Sedentary lifestyles, depression, suicidal thoughts, and bad habits among others are examples of health defects that have rendered many people disabled and vulnerable.

Dr. Isaac Ayodele, chief executive officer of Ayodele Herbals, the organization that drives the psychotherapy centre offers more insight into how the new programme works.

According to him, “Mental health does not connote madness. No one is mad. They only have mental challenge. Society stigmatizes and discriminates against them. This is not fair.”

“So, we go holistic to diagnose and treat the disease of the mind to see that the disease in the body gradually heals.”

Dr. Ayodele, a public health, and herbal psychotherapy expert further revealed that the Disease Reversal Programme would be generally virtual, off line and onsight, but would require for would-be patients to register to get treatment. After the registration, he added, the individual will undergo some diagnosis which adopts evidence-based test and assessment that will be processed in a laboratory before the treatment procedures. No treatment before diagnosis.

Registration to be part of the programme is in three categories: Platinum, Gold and Silver and distance is no barrier since it is predominantly online, offline and onsight.

Ayodele Herbals has been in the business of reversing health problems for close to three decades, and it has put smiles on the faces of myriad of people within this period.

A statement on Tuesday in Lokoja by the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof Isah Adagiri Yahaya, said the publication in a section of the social media credited to one Chukwuemeka Mohammed, was misleading, malicious and unfounded.

According to him, Chukwuemeka Mohammed in his write up tried albeit fruitlessly all efforts to bring to disrepute the effective service delivery status achieved by the present management of KSSH and the Administration of Governor Yahaya Bello in the revolution of the Health Sector.

”It is an acknowledged fact that the Specialist Hospital Lokoja under the present administration has been repositioned in the areas of infrastructure, human resource, towards meeting emergencies at the hospital.

”It is important to state that KSSH is amongst Government agencies that has been given the leverage to opt out of the single treasury accounting system.

”All of this decisions are geared towards meeting patients’ emergency need and the restocking medicaments where and when necessary.

“Through Chukwuemeka’s social media post, several questions come to mind: was there any attempt for Chukwuemeka to complain to the department responsible for Insurance Management in the hospital?

”Was there any effort to draw the attention of the Matron on compound duty, the Hospital Publicity Director or the Medical Doctor in charge of the Accident and Emergency to any of the challenges you encountered?

”We will like to know the Clinical status of Chukwuemeka’s client before she was rushed to Specialist Hospital, and where she was referred from? Her HMO and who her Primary Provider is?

”Was any of the KSSH insurance Department staff contacted? Because we intend to be fair, balanced, scientific, objective and clinical about all his claims.

”Since the Establishment of Kogi State Specialist Hospital, can Chukwuemeka give us data showing that the hospital is a cemetery for burying dead people, His quote: ‘specialist hospital has turned a death trap’

”Let it be placed on record that the hospital has a 24hr policy of attending to emergencies without payment and accumulating a debt to the tune of N20,000 before the client’s relatives are contacted.

”We have several countless examples of person’s who are alive because of this EMERGENCY POLICY of the hospital, NHIS or NOT,” he said.

He added: ”we’re in a Civil Society and as such, there are civil ways of addressing concerns and complaints.
”With the manner and way this post was written, it seeks to: Undermine the management and staff of the Kogi State Specialist Hospital.

”There seem to be a clear motive behind this post which is geared towards portraying the Chief Medical Director in person of Prof Isah Yahaya Adagiri in very bad light without any due diligence to fact checking and balanced reportage.

”Deliberately painting the Government of his Excellency, Yahaya Adoiza Bello in bad light for no realistic reason before the good people of Kogi State and environs.

”Deliberately undermining all the time, resources and attention paid to the health care sector by his Excellency, intentionally Inciting Public Hate and stirring up Civil disobedience against the Hospital and Government of Kogi State.

”We wish to therefore say that Chukwuemeka’s post is designed and masterminded to sell a private hospital which is his entitlement, but we frown at his attempt to denigrate or cast aspersion on a government owned hospital without clear proof or facts.

”Chukwuemeka used the term ‘Negligence and lack of sympathy’

”We are looking forward to where he has repeatedly draw-out the attention of the hospital management to these claims and nothing was done about it BY the Medical Staff of the Accident and Emergency Department or any other Emergency Department within the hospital.?

“Considering the manner this post was made, we wish to remind Chukwuemeka that both the NHIS now NHIA and the Kogi State Specialist Hospital are Government owned and fully Established by law.

”Therefore, we will explore all necessary options to address both his claims on the social media space without recourse to due process within five working days.”

End

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Kogi State chapter, has felicitated with His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello, on the 31st Anniversary celebration of creation of Kogi State.

A statement by the State’s Chairman of NMA, Dr Olusola Baoku, on behalf of the State Officers Council (SOC), commended the Governor’s for his great achievements in the state’s health sector.

The statement which was made available to journalists by the NMA PRO, Dr Aiyevbomwan Peter, eulogised the governor for the infrastructural development in the health institutions across the state.

”On behalf of the State Officers Council (SOC), and the entire NMA Kogi State, I congratulate His Excellency, Governor Yahaha Bello and his Deputy, Chief Edward Onoja, on the 31st anniversary celebration of creation of Kogi State.

”NMA-Kogi sincerely appreciate His Excellency for embarking on construction, renovation, upgrading and equipping of various healthcare institutions across the state.

”We thank the governor for the construction of a beautiful edifice, the Kogi State Reference Hospital, Okene, remodeling of Kogi State Specialist Hospital (KSSH), Lokoja, as well as renovation and revitalization of various cottage hospitals across the state, among several other health infrastructure development,” he said.

The NMA further appreciated the governor’s efforts towards improving the health care delivery to the people of the state, and for making Kogi safe for all and sundry.

Baoku emphasised that the remarkable achievements by the governor in the health sector would go a long way in enhancing quality healthcare delivery for the residents of the state.

”We believe the giant stride achieved in form of infrastructural development in health sector of the state will go a long way to serve the people.We appreciate His Excellency landmark achievements,” he said.

The chairman assured commitment of the association to give the governor full support towards achieving the universal health care coverage for the people of Kogi State, and the welfare of NMA members.

The Association prayed God to grant the Governor the wisdom to continue to pioneer the affairs of the state to greater and enviable heights.

Congratulations your Excellency on the 31st Anniversary celebration of creation of Kogi State!

End

In his opening remarks, Dr Ekundayo Samuel, the Executive Director of DHF, described the organisation as a not-for-profit, non-political and non-governmental organisation located at Isanlu, Yagba East L.G.A, Kogi State, Nigeria.

He explained that the organization was established with the aim of promoting the health and wellbeing of the population by reducing cancer threat.

”Our programs are designed to raise cancer awareness and education in the society; provide easy access to cancer screening, diagnosis, management; and enhance the quality of life of cancer patients,” he said

He noted that the symposium was organised as part of the organisation’s statutory activities to reduce cancer threat especially in Nigeria.

He stated that Breast Cancer had taken over as the leading cancer type globally from Lung Cancer.

According to him, although there is no enough accurate data, breast cancer is still the leading cancer type in Nigeria and many people die from the disease yearly.

He stated that over 2.3 Million people currently are diagnosed with Breast Cancer and around 700, 000 people have died from it.

”In Nigeria, as of today within a five year period, four out of five cancer patients hardly survive the disease including patients with breast cancer.

”That is why the organisation is clamoring for ways to help in preventing breast cancer and how cancer patients can cope,” Samuel said.

Dr Samuel noted DHF remained one of the very few Cancer focused NGO located in a rural areas because of its believe that people in the rural areas also have right to access cancer care benefits.

He acknowledged the support of Patela Care Foundation, and encouraged other bigger NGO’s to support DHF in any way they could.

The various Guest speakers, who spoke at the symposium, urged the people to take every precautionary measure to prevent, detect breast and cervical cancers at early stage.

In his lecture, Dr. Sesan Oluwasola, Consultant/Gynecologist, University College Hospital Ibadan, who spoke on ”Research perspective” of the topic, stressed that ‘prevention is better than cure’ as far as cancer management was concerned.

He explained that breast cancer has highest prevalence in Nigerian women followed by Cervical cancer, adding that both cancers if detected early could achieve hundred percent cure.

He added: ”but unfortunately, most Nigeria women only report when the disease has gone out of hands”.

He noted that breast cancer was very high in developed countries but with low mortality rate, while in developing countries like Nigeria breast cancer lower but with high mortality rate.

This, he said was as a result of inadequate measures and access to cancer health care facilities.

The medical expert advised women to be careful to take every precautionary measure either to prevent or to detect breast and cervical cancers early.

According to him, when it comes to breast and cervical cancers, being a woman is a risk factor and woman without family history and other high risk can still be infected with breast cancer.

Also speaking, Dr. Foluke Sarimiye, Co-founder/Executive Director, Patela Care Foundation, who spoke on ”Psychological issues and Coping Mechanism”, said every cancer has psychological issues associated with it like anxiety and depression.

Sarimiye, who is a Consultant in Clinical Oncology and Lecturer at University of Ibadan, noted that Breast represent a symbol of Feminism in women, saying, ”it takes a lot of courage, strength, psychotherapy and support especially from spouse for a lady to have a breast cancer surgery.

She added that knowledge was key in the aspect of coping mechanism of breast cancer, as it involved knowing when to have routine mammogram for women above 40 years, health system available to each economic constraint and know more about the disease.

On his part, Mr Runcie Chidebe, Executive Director, Project Pink Blue, said Nigerians were battling with cancer after undergoing treatment because of inadequate cancer research data in the country.

Chidebe decried that Nigeria only have six Oncological Clinical trials ongoing in the country out of over 100,000 cancer patients yearly.

He stressed that with over 200 million population if more precaution was not put in place, by the year 2040 the death from cancer patients would be multiplied by 50 per cent.

Another speaker, Mrs. Adedayo Olusayo, a cancer survivor who shared her experience, said she was depressed as a widow because there was no money, but her doctor encouraged her and she was able to get support.

Olusayo said she had her surgery, followed by Chemotherapy and then Radiation therapy, adding that she was able to go through all these through her family and relatives’ support as well as support from her religious institution.

The cancer survivor decried the attitude of some healthcare workers towards cancer patients, saying it was not encouraging.

She encouraged cancer patients to speak up and not be afraid of any stigma as it is a matter of life and death.

She stressed that diagnosing and treating breast cancer early give a higher chance of survival.

Dr. Alhassan Umar Adamu, the President of Nigerian Cancer Society, appreciated the efforts of DHF for organising the program; and the guest speakers for their various contributions.

Adamu noted that Nigeria has very few professionals (Clinical Oncologist) to match the multitude of cancer patients in the country.

He said it was very challenging for patients to access cancer treatments and care because most of the processes available were not affordable to the masses which remained the major problem of cancer care in Nigeria.

Adamu encouraged the people to stand and be there for every cancer patients in Nigeria, saying no one organisation could do it alone.

He encouraged cancer NGOs on the need to team up to scale up the advocacy and policy engagement to significantly reduce the rate of cancer in Nigeria.

Other speakers who spoke at the event were: Mrs. Eniola Akintunde, Executive Director Niola Cancer Care Foundation; and Dr. Ishak Lawal – Technical Advisor Dove-Haven Foundation (DHF).

The speakers advised the government and cancer NGOs to work together so that Nigeria could have own cancer research data, stressing that the country could not continue to rely on data gotten from other countries.

They enjoined cancer patients to listen to their doctors in order to cope with the disease, while urging doctors to have cordial relationship with their patients.

The speakers also encouraged every stakeholder to come together to promote cancer prevention strategies, and be an advocate at religious centres, working places and mostly on social media.

End

In a demonstration of its commitment to promote, support healthy living among Nigerians and contribute to the fight against Sickle Cell Disease, Amazing Grace Diagnostics held an awareness program about Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) in Ogun State.

World Sickle Cell Day is observed annually on June 19 to increase global awareness, knowledge and understanding of sickle cell disease and the suffering faced by the affected people.

The program held at owode-Egba Ogun State on Sunday was to contribute to well being of children living with the sickle cell disease.

The program, with the Theme: ” SHINE THE LIGHT ON SICKLE CELL “, began with a novelty football match between Female Machine Football Club and Faweh Football Academy.

The football match was followed by an awareness walk on the streets, free testing for people and a lecture about the killing Cell at the Owode-Egba town hall.

Prominent guests like HRM Oba Kolawole Sowemimo, Medical Practioners, Healthcare providers, Parents/Guardians, Religious institutions, Children and sickle warriors were in attendance.

The organizer who is the Director of Amazing Grace Diagnostics, Mr. Harrison Omoragbon (Medical Laboratory Scientist) stated that the reason behind the initiative was to sensitize the people most especially the young ones not to continue the circle of mistake other parents made, to know their Genotype and make informed decision before getting into relationship as well as give hope to the sickle cell warriors.

“This programme is targeted at promoting awareness of sickle cell disorder; educating the community on prevention and management of sickle cell anemia and encourage warriors (sicklers) to have positive attitude to life as well as create database for information management and sharing.

“It is rural outreach where we talk to people about Sickle Cell and run free Genotype and blood group Testing. We are also providing free medication for people affected with Sickle Cell. This is our first outreach and we are happy to be well-received by the community members. People at the rural community lack access to real information and we want to help.”

Speaker at the event, Dr Oke Joshua, said that it is important to make information available to individuals, families and communities to reduce the likelihood of couples having children suffering from the disease.

“We all know how deadly the Sickle Cell Disease is, that’s why we are here with Amazing Grace Diagnostics to spread the gospel.”

Doctor Oke, further used diagrams to explain Genetic Compatibility, blood groups and genotypes.

According to him, information about these will help to know the type of blood each person has and influence choice of who to marry.

Meanwhile, The HRM Oba Kolawole Sowemimo, the Olu of Owode Egba lauded the organizers for the initiative and appealed to government to help create more awareness about the deadly disease.

“It’s a very good initiative and I commend Amazing Grace Diagnostics for doing such thing in our community. It will go a long way in prevent the spread of the disease. However we need more NGOs to follow Amazing Grace Diagnostics footsteps and help the people of the know more about what we are doing today.”

Meanwhile, the organizers promised to hold more awareness program as part of the contribution to the community.

Ojochegbe David Stephen is a 22 year-old graduate of Industrial Physics, Federal University of Agriculture, Markurdi.

He has been diagnosed with Polyneuropathy which has led to total paralysis and throat blockage. He currently breaths with the aid of oxygen and feeds through the nostrils.

Polyneuropathy is the simultaneous malfunction of many peripheral nerves throughout the body. Infections, toxins, drugs, cancers, nutritional deficiencies, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and other disorders can cause many peripheral nerves to malfunction.

Ojochegbe has been at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Specialist Hospital, Gwagwalada since Monday, 13th June, 2022.

The physicians prescribed IV immunoglobulin, 36g daily x 5 days and the sumof Three Million and Eight Hundred Thousand Naira (#3,800,000.00) is required to place order for the importation of the injection urgently to rejuvenate the dead cells.

Ojochegbe needs your financial support so that he can be on his feet again. Please, help save a soul.

Account Details: FCMB
Account Name: Danjuma Stephen Ogwu
Account No: 2071344017
Enquiries: 07034870129

Thank you!

A congratulatory message by the President of EDF, Dr Kabir Zubair, on Saturday in Lokoja, specifically commended the Governor’s unprecedented achievements in state’s health sector.

”The Ebira Doctors Forum (EDF); a body of all doctors of Ebira Extraction wishes to felicitate with His Excellency, Alh Yahaya Adoza Bello on his 47th birthday.

”We are proud of your giant strides in the Kogi State Health sector. We have followed with keen interest the landmark achievements you have made to reposition the sector.

”It takes a courageous leader to undertake such a gargantuan project like the Kogi State Reference hospitals.

”The EDF is excited about this significant milestone in the healthcare sector in the State as this is in consonance with our aim and objectives”, he said.

The forum further eulogised the governor on the level of equipment in the Reference hospital such as CT scan and other advanced diagnostics and therapeutic equipment.

According to him, patients in the state that need such high level healthcare services, will not have to travel far to access them.

He prayed that the Almighty God would grant the Governor the will power, resources and know-how to put the right man power in place to run the healthcare facility.

”Finally, we congratulate you on your 47th birthday and we pray that you move to greater height in your political sojourn,” he said.

End

The Kogi State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KSPHCDA), has commenced the disbursement of funds to 220 selected and verified primary health care centers across 21 local government areas of the state.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Executive Director of the KSPHCDA, Dr Abubakar Yakubu and made available to newsmen by Dr. Bola Jonah, the Focal Person, Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), on Thursday in Lokoja.

According to him, the BHCPF is a Federal Government health intervention geared towards ensuring Direct Facility Funding (DFF) to all the selected and verified primary health care centres, to help revitalize primary health care delivery in the country.

He explained that the funds were send directly from a pool to the health facilities, to support the facilities in ensuring minor face lift, recruitment of adhoc staff, purchase of drugs and other required commodities, among others.

He further disclosed that a total of 220 facilities would receive the sum of N132,330,000 as Direct Facility Funding (DFF) for the second and third quarter disbursement for the year 2022.

”The agency appreciates the State Governor, His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, for playing significant role in ensuring that the state was qualified to be selected to benefit from this intervention.

”’His Excellency had ensured that funds were released for the baseline assessment, state training of trainers; cascade training at the local government, verification exercise, and in addition approved the counterpart funds for the intervention to be possible,” he said.

He added that the state had constituted a robust supervision, monitoring and evaluation team, who would move into action immediately to monitor the utilization of the funds by the benefitting facilities.

”It is with hope that the selected Health facilities will utilize the resources according to the approved Quarterly Business plans and by extension the Annual Quality improvement plans,” Yakubu said.

He appreciated all the Teams from the National Primary Health Care development agency (NPHCDA), National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the Kogi team members and development partners for their support all through the processes.

End

By Stephen Adeleye

A Nigerian-born medical doctor and international multiple award-winning author, Dr Kennedy O. Obohwemu, has emerged winner of the ”Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition” 2022, organised by the University of Sunderland, United Kingdom.

The three-minute thesis competition is an annual competition held in more than 200 universities worldwide.

It is open to PhD students, and challenges participants to present their research in just 180 seconds, in an engaging form that can be understood by an intelligent audience with no background in the research area.

This exercise develops presentation, research and academic communication skills and supports the development of research students’ capacity to explain their work effectively.

An 80,000-word thesis would take nine hours to present.

The contestants (PhD students) have a time limit of three minutes to present their research in language appropriate to non-specialists, and with only one single presentation slide to support them.

Developed by the University of Queensland, Australia in 2008, the success of the 3MT has led to the establishment of local and national competitions in several countries.

As of 20th December 2019, there were at least 85 participating countries from every continent (apart from Antarctica) and at least 941 institutions.

The competition challenges doctoral candidates to present a compelling spoken presentation on their research topic and its significance in just three minutes.

At 100 words per minute, researchers needed to write 3 x 100-word speeches with absolute precision and present them in the form of a spoken word contest.

Since 2014 Vitae have proudly hosted the UK ®3MT competition which is the culmination of finalists from Vitae member Higher Education Institutions throughout the United Kingdom.

Active PhD and Professional Doctorate (Research) candidates who have successfully passed their confirmation milestone (including candidates whose thesis is under submission) by the date of their first presentation are eligible to participate in 3MT competitions at all levels.

Joining the rich tradition, the University of Sunderland held their 3MT contest on Friday 13th May 2022, which was open to PhD students from all nationalities, across all faculties and campuses of the university (Sunderland, London, and Hong Kong).

Multiple award-winning Nigerian writer, and Spoken Word Artist and leadership Coach, Dr. Kennedy O. Obohwemu, emerged winner of the competition by unanimous decision.

With his presentation titled, ”Childhood Vaccinations: Our Collective Responsibility’’, Dr. Kennedy swept the audience off their feet with his characteristic poise, style, elegance, and class.

Dr. Kennedy’s research focuses on parental childhood vaccine hesitancy, an increasingly important public health concern in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world.

Vaccine hesitancy is associated with a decrease in vaccine coverage and an increase in vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks and epidemics.
Many studies have focused on understanding and defining the relatively new socio-medical term, vaccine hesitancy; few have attempted to measure the prevalence of vaccine hesitancy in the UK.

Using conceptual frameworks based on the Protection Motivation Theory, Dr. Kenney’s research quantifies the prevalence of vaccine hesitancy in the UK and examines the association of vaccine hesitancy with sociodemographics and childhood vaccination coverage.

The research attempts to aid public health professionals with a catalogue of health interventions and strategies to ultimately address and prevent parental vaccine hesitancy in the long term.

Monitoring vaccine hesitancy could help inform immunisation programs as they develop and target methods to increase vaccine confidence and vaccination coverage.

Warm happy cheers to a worthy doctoral fellow making Africa proud in the diaspora!

About Dr. Kennedy:

Dr. Kennedy Obehiri Obohwemu is a medical graduate from Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria. He holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from the prestigious University of Roehampton, United Kingdom.
He also has a postgraduate certificate on Leadership and Management in Health from the University of Washington, USA. He is currently a PhD student and Academic Tutor at the Faculty of Health Science & Wellbeing, University of Sunderland, United Kingdom.

He bagged a State Merit Award for his outstanding performance during his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Year. He is a Fellow of the Young African Leadership Institute (YALI), Regional Leadership Center (West Africa), a global initiative of former President Barack Obama of the United States.

He was rewarded with the highly coveted Obama’s YALI Leadership Award in recognition of his exceptional leadership skills and managerial prowess.

He was selected among thousands of applicants from around the world to attend the 2017 Summer Youth Assembly at the United Nations Headquarters, New York City, USA.
He was also selected among hundreds of young African leaders to attend the 2017 International Conference on Climate Change in Bellevue, Washington. The event was co-hosted by The Alliance for Climate Protection and The Climate Reality Project, a U.S. non-profit, public charity founded by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore.

Dr. Kennedy has experience across healthcare, civic leadership, policy formulation and legislative drafting, business and entrepreneurship, community development and youth empowerment.

He is a publisher, editor, novelist, playwright, visionary poet, leadership coach, activist & social blogger.

A writer of colour, Dr. Kennedy enjoys stories of love, adventure, mystery, and suspense. His internationally acclaimed book TWISTED was published in the United States and won the 2015 Readers Favourite Award within one year of its publication.

Dr. Kennedy is the Founder and Emeritus President of the Association of Nigerian Student Authors (ANSA).

He is a born leader, an uncanny talent, a refulgent adjudicator, a trusted administrator, an exotic breed, a man of first-class ideas, objective, creative, exquisite!

End

By Stephen Adeleye

The Kogi State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KSPHCDA) on Wednesday held its inaugural board meeting, with a call for adequate funding to enhance quality healthcare delivery for the residents of the state.

In her remarks, the KSPHCDA Board Chairperson, Hon. Ojonugwa Achimugu, congratulated the members, the Executive Director, management and staff of the agency, assuring their willingness to contribute their quota for more success in the agency.

She said that the meeting would enable the board members to be well informed about the concept of the primary health care, their roles, functions and responsibilities.

Achimugu enjoined the members to collaborate to work for the good and wellbeing of the good people of Kogi state.

On his part, the Executive Director of KSPHCDA, Dr Abubakar Yakubu, said the maiden board meeting was an opportunity to make bold the confidence reposed in them by His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello.

He said that the agency was established by a Law passed by Kogi State House of Assembly and accented to by the then Governor, Alh Idris Wada, on April 10, 2012.

According to him, the agency’s mandate covers providing leadership, promoting and supporting the implementation of quality and sustainable PHC system through advocacy, resource mobilisation, partnerships, capacity building and collaboration with relevant stakeholders.

He said the baseline survey conducted in 2018 showed that Kogi had 838 Primary Health Centres (PHCs), adding that it had increased over time due to new facilities built through SDGs and private organisations.

He highlighted some challenges facing the agency to include; funding, permanent office accommodation, office furniture & equipment, inadequate personnel, official vehicles, and difficulties in achieving the PHC Under One Roof (PHCUOR) since 2020.

He, however noted that in spite of the challenges, the agency had made some tremendous achievements in routine immunisation campaign, sustained collaborations with stakeholders, more health facilities, improved service delivery, among several other achievements.

The Lead Consultant to the agency, Dr Mary Ojonema Onoja-Alexander, presented a paper, titled: ”Concept of Primary Health Care and the Role of the Board in Kogi State”.

She stressed that Governments have a responsibility for the health of their people, which could only be achieved by the provision of adequate health and social measures.

According to her, the principles of PHC include equitable distribution, community participation, intersectoral coordination, appropriate technology as well as prevention.

She explained that the PHC has eight essential components such as: education about common health, maternal and child health care, promotion of proper nutrition, basic sanitation, and adequate water supply.

Others include immunization against infectious diseases, prevention and control of locally endemic diseases, and appropriate treatment for common diseases and injuries.

End