By Umar Dankano, Yola
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with the European Union-funded SARAH Initiative, has donated medical equipment worth millions of naira to the Adamawa State Government to strengthen healthcare delivery across the state.
The equipment was formally handed over on Monday at the Adamawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ADSPHCDA) in Yola.
Receiving the equipment on behalf of the state government, the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Alhaji Chubado Muhammad Jada, expressed appreciation to UNICEF and the EU-SARAH Initiative for their sustained support to the state’s health sector.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Pharm. Mathias Zira Bubanani, the commissioner said the intervention came at a critical time and would be distributed to primary healthcare facilities across the state to improve access to quality healthcare services.
He noted that the equipment would strengthen the state’s health system, improve service delivery at primary healthcare centres, and contribute significantly to reducing maternal mortality and other preventable health challenges.
Muhammad urged residents, particularly pregnant women, to take advantage of the improved healthcare services available at primary healthcare facilities across the state.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Chairman of the Adamawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ADSPHCDA), Dr. Sulaiman Saidu Bashir, commended UNICEF, the European Union and other development partners for their continued support.
He described the intervention as timely and essential to enabling healthcare institutions to effectively discharge their responsibilities to the people.
Bashir assured the partners that the equipment would be properly utilized for its intended purpose and directed Primary Healthcare Coordinators across the local government areas to ensure its safety, maintenance and effective deployment.
Also speaking, the Agency’s Director of Community Health Services, Hajiya Rashida Tahir, said the donated equipment, including Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) tools, would significantly improve healthcare delivery, particularly services provided to antenatal mothers.
She disclosed that health workers had already received adequate training to effectively utilize the equipment and emphasized the need for continuous monitoring and evaluation to ensure proper use, security and quality service delivery.
Tahir also encouraged pregnant women to access the maternal healthcare services and maternity packages available at primary healthcare centres across the state.
In his goodwill message, UNICEF Health Specialist, Mr. Sayi Olusandi, said the donation was part of the organisation’s efforts to improve the quality of healthcare services and strengthen the state’s primary healthcare system.
He stressed the importance of safeguarding the equipment to ensure its long-term impact on healthcare delivery.
Representatives of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Executive Secretaries of local government health authorities, Programme Managers and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) also commended the initiative and urged beneficiaries to ensure the equipment is effectively utilized.
The ceremony concluded with the formal distribution of the medical equipment to representatives of the local government areas and Primary Health Care Authorities for deployment to health facilities across Adamawa State.