WHO, UNICEF commend Mbah’s primary healthcare investments

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have commended Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State for his administration’s investment and commitment to strengthening primary healthcare services.

The commendation was given on Tuesday during the 2026 Biannual Meeting and Supportive Supervisory Visit led by the governor at the Type 2 Primary Healthcare Centre in Ihe Ward, Nsukka Local Government Area.

Speaking at the event, Dr Chukwumuanya Igbonekwu, South-East Zonal Coordinator of WHO Nigeria, described Mbah’s routine supervisory visits to primary healthcare centres as a demonstration of accountable leadership.

He said the visits promoted continuous assessment, improved service delivery and strengthened accountability mechanisms, while motivating health workers and helping authorities identify operational challenges within healthcare facilities.

Igbonekwu commended the state government for prioritising investments in the health sector and pledged WHO’s continued support in building resilient health systems capable of addressing emerging challenges.

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Similarly, UNICEF’s Chief of Field Office in Enugu, Ms Juliet Chiluwe, represented by Health Logistics Consultant, Dr Charles Abel, praised the governor’s commitment to improving healthcare services statewide.

She described the regular oversight visits as evidence of leadership that prioritised the health and well-being of residents, particularly women and children, while strengthening confidence in healthcare systems.

Chiluwe reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to supporting the state government’s efforts to improve access to quality healthcare services and achieve better health outcomes for vulnerable populations.

Addressing stakeholders, Mbah said his administration deliberately embarked on constructing 260 primary healthcare centres, one in each of the state’s 260 wards, to ensure equitable access.

He expressed satisfaction that the investment was already yielding positive results, particularly in reducing maternal mortality, while reiterating the administration’s goal of achieving zero maternal deaths.

“No woman should die giving birth in any part of Enugu State,” the governor said.

Mbah urged traditional rulers, women leaders and other community stakeholders to intensify awareness campaigns on immunisation, antenatal and postnatal care, and universal health coverage enrolment.

He also called on community leaders to support monitoring of service delivery at primary healthcare centres to ensure quality care and maximise the benefits of government investments.

The governor further assured residents of Nsukka that advanced diagnostic services, including Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computed Tomography (CT) scans, would soon be available locally.

According to him, the services will be provided at the State University of Medical and Applied Sciences (SUMAS) Teaching Hospital, reducing referrals to Enugu metropolis for treatment.

On her part, Dr Ifeyinwa Ani-Osheku, Executive Secretary of the Enugu State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, said the state had recorded significant improvements in healthcare delivery.

She said that annual visits to primary healthcare centres increased from 800,000 to more than 1.4 million, representing an 80 per cent rise since the current administration assumed office.

Ani-Osheku said Penta-3 immunisation coverage improved from 78.5 per cent to 88.9 per cent, exceeding the national target of 85 per cent and reflecting stronger healthcare interventions.

She added that the government had constructed 260 new primary healthcare centres, recruited 2,250 health workers and provided 3,380 hospital beds and 520 baby cots.

Earlier, Nsukka Local Government Chairman, Jude Asogwa, NMA Chairman in Enugu State, Dr Sunday Okafor, and Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu, lauded the governor’s healthcare initiatives.

They said the administration’s investments in healthcare infrastructure, workforce development and service delivery had improved access to care and strengthened public confidence in the health sector.

Asogwa expressed confidence that the achievements recorded in the health sector would further strengthen public support for the administration ahead of future electoral contests.

(NAN)