The Health Partners Reference Group (HPRG) in Kaduna State, on Tuesday, pledged more support to improve the health and nutrition systems for the wellbeing of residents of the state.
Dr Idris Baba, HPRG Chairman, made the pledge in Kaduna, at a one-day Donor Coordination Meeting with development partners.
Baba, the Health Specialist, UNICEF Kaduna, explained that the HPRG was a dynamic consortium of partners supporting Kaduna state to strengthen its health and nutrition systems.
He explained that the group was created for coordination of interventions toward achieving Universal Health Coverage and improving the health outcome of the citizens.
He said that the development partners were supporting the state government in implementing health and nutrition programmes across the 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.
According to him, some of the achievements in the second quarter of 2021 include the scale up of the delivery of nutrition-sensitive antenatal care packages from 16 to 100 facilities across 12 LGAs of the state.
“So far, more than 70,000 pregnant women were reached with nutrition sensitive services.
“Partners also supported the government to reach 1.5 million out of the 1.95 million targeted children, six to 59 months with Vitamin A supplements during the Maternal, New-born and Child Healthcare week, representing 78 per cent success.
“We have strengthened and scaled up adolescent health interventions with membership of support groups of Adolescents Living with HIV.
“Also, 8,191 children six to 59 months with severe acute malnutrition were treated and 16,401 mothers and other caregivers counseled on Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition Package,” he said.
He said partners’ advocacies had led to the increase in nutrition budget allocation from N150 million to N650 million in the 2021 Budget.
He added that the partners also supported the printing and dissemination of the State Food and Nutrition Policy and the Kaduna Multi-Sectoral Strategic Plan of Action for Nutrition.
Baba also said that 444 communities comprising 131,424 people had been certified open defecation free.
He said that 28 schools and 20 health centres were provided with gender sensitive water and sanitation facilities in line with national standards within the second quarter.
On HIV/AIDS, Baba said that 57,303 HIV positive persons were placed on treatment, with 98 per cent eligible clients viral load tested and 93 per cent clients’ viral load suppressed.
“The government and development partners have empowered 200 adolescent girls and rural women across 11 LGAs with skills and empowered them financially to strengthen their decision-making power on health.
“We have supported the state in the conduct of fiscal space analysis and procurement and distribution of family planning and cervical cancer consumables worth N13 million.
“Partners also strengthened the capacity of community champions and the media on citizen participation in local government and health budget, processes and accountability,’’ Baba said.
The chairman said that the group partnered in areas of health, Annual Operational Plan review, development and harmonisation and supportive supervision.
He identified other areas as the conduct of health facilities spot checks and demand creation and community engagement. (NAN)
