Minister lauds Katsina’s investment in health infrastructure, services
Minister of Health, Prof. Ali Pate has hailed Katsina state’s investment in health infrastructure and services, including routine immunization.
The minister made the remarks when he led a delegation from his ministry, Gates and Melinda Foundation, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA). and Dangote Foundation on a courtesy visit to Governor Dikko Umaru Radda.
Prof. Pate called on the state government to intensify efforts in tracking immunisation progress, ensuring full coverage of eligible children and identifying and addressing gaps.
“The recent local government elections provide an opportunity for chairmen to be actively involved in immunization campaigns and ensure accountability at the grassroots level,” he noted.
The minister expressed concerns over high maternal mortality rate in the state and advised the government to deploy skilled birth attendants and community-based health workers, provide essential maternal and reproductive health commodities, and strengthen collaboration to ensure safe motherhood initiatives.
Prof. Pate advised the state to leverage federal initiatives such as Project Hope and federal budgetary allocations to strengthen the Federal Teaching Hospital in Katsina.
Also, Mr. Chris Elias, Chairman of the Polio Oversight Board at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, commended Nigeria’s remarkable progress in eliminating wild poliovirus.
“Since 2016, Nigeria has remained free of wild poliovirus, however, the fight is not over—we are now confronting variant vaccine-derived polioviruses, which require sustained commitment at all levels,” Elias said.
He said there should be a strong political leadership to eradicate polio entirely, and reaffirmed the foundation’s commitment to supporting Katsina state in achieving this goal.
Responding, Governor Radda reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery, expanding infrastructure, and advancing routine immunization and polio eradication efforts across the state.
“We have completed 158 primary healthcare facilities and recently awarded contracts for an additional 102, bringing the total to nearly 300. By the end of this administration, we aim to have 360 fully functional primary healthcare centers across the state, each equipped with off-grid staff quarters, ambulances, and essential medical equipment.
“To ensure these facilities operate efficiently, we are deploying at least three community health workers per facility and implementing a three-shift system for 24-hour service delivery.”
The governor revealed plans for residency training programmes and strategic partnerships to address health workers shortages.
He said, “We are establishing a state-of-the-art dialysis center and an advanced imaging center to reduce the need for medical travel abroad, and to position Katsina as a hub for medical tourism.”
Governor Radda highlighted the crucial role of partnerships in advancing healthcare, acknowledging the support of the Gates Foundation, Aliko Dangote Foundation, UNICEF, WHO and other development partners.
