Sam Kaye
The Country Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Nigeria Dr Walter Mulombo has declared the just concluded 14th joint operational review meeting held recently in the Ndimi hall of the University of Maiduguri as very successful.
Mulombo a world class epidemiologist made the remark while participating in the finalization of reports from different groups based on the outcome of the 14th general meeting.
The Country representative said he deliberately stayed back after the opening ceremony to witness the finalization of the report so that he can hear the strength and weaknesses of all partners in the region to enable them fine tune all the details into the same page for implementation and preparation against the next meeting which may come up in Benue state all things being equal.
The meeting posited that the organization reached out to more than two million residents through health emergency services in Bomo, Adamawa and Yobe states (BAY) states respectively.
This was achieved in spite of the threats from insurgents and the raging floods that killed many and displaced millions of residents this year in the three states according to reports emanating from the presentations from the joint operation review meetings which took place in Maiduguri recently.
While describing the joint session of the just concluded meeting as successful the country director in Nigeria Dr Walter Mulombo stated during the closing session that he was happy with the collaborative partnership that existed between his agency and non governmental organizations (NGO’s) in the sub region adding that more of that kind of gesture should continue to ensure that the capacity of the state actors will be improved upon in the not too distant future.
Mulombo noted that even though the region faced challenges at the peak of those devastating floods, there was the need to commit 25% of ready funds against next year for local NGOs and partners to strengthen human resources and emergency health responses against disease outbreaks.
Mulombo who chaired the sessions in the three working days event which actually attracted activities from the 27th to the 30th of November 2024, noted that there was also an urgent need to strengthen health campaigns against gender-based violence and sexual abuse very common in the BAY states.
Dr Mulombo revealed that the review of the health systems became imperative for transitional change and improvements due to the humanitarian crisis posed by terrorism and flood in states like Benue, Plateau which have been lumped together with the BAY states in terms of prevalence of humanitarian challenges.
The opening ceremony was actually a line up of commendation for the contribution of the WHO to the region especially from Borno’s special adviser on health, Dr Hassan Abubakar who said he was pleased with the activity of the agency especially during the last flood which ravaged the entire city centre of Maiduguri sending several residents to their early graves.
During the opening ceremony, Pharmacist Rose who represented the Commissioner of Health and human services Dr Felix Tangwami of Adamawa state equally commended the organization for the support they have been receiving especially in their bid to stem the tide of cholera which they couldn’t have handled on their own.
For the Commissioner of Health from Yobe State, Dr Mohammad Gana, partnership was key in the Health sector as Governor Mai Mala Buni himself supported them as part of any evident progress being made in the entire state.
He however expressed worries about some challenges which he felt the world Agency could do more to reduce the worries of partners.
“In this case, we are talking about challenges like insufficient vaccines” which to the commissioner was on the front burner of the management of the health sector in the state.
“To us, the reduction in maternal mortality is of high priority even as we worry about the rising trend of non communicable diseases affecting some residents.
“We also worry about existing communicable diseases, malaria and HIV and AIDS but we are working at the grassroot to deal with them “. Said Dr Gana.
Several stake holders and partners were given the floor to vent out their challenges even as the director of water resources in Adamawa state called for an instant advocacy to dredge river Benue to minimize the impact of the annual flood from the Lagdo dam in Cameroon which used to cause sorrow and tears for a lot of residents down stream.
On the final analysis the country director suggested the “urgent development of strategies” that would lead to solutions for the residents in the region.
He stressed that partners were not in the conflict zones to stay but to build capabilities to effective progress in the communities and move on.
The joint operational review sessions which looked at protracted grade three complex humanitarian crisis in North East Nigeria had myriads of speakers like Dr Balami Yakubu, Professor Ibrahim Wakawa, representative from Ocha, Professor Baba Malam Gana and key partners of the health sector forum in the BAY states.
A one minute silence was held by stake holders for the World Health Organisation Africa Regional Director-elect, Dr Faustine Ndugulile, who lost his life suddenly on Wednesday, November 27, 2024.
Born in 1969, Ndugulile was a Tanzanian politician and tested public health professional who was nominated in August 2024 as the next Regional Director for the WHO African Region, expected to take over the reins from Dr Matshidiso Moeti, who has served two five-year terms and is due to how out of office.(www.krestnews.com).