Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Plateau have called on governments at all levels to strengthen health system, especially in rural areas, the state’s coordinator of the groups, Rev. Christopher Dancher, made the call in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Jos.
Dancher said the action was one of the critical requirements to sustain the certification of Nigeria and Africa as polio-free by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
NAN reports that Nigeria was certified polio-free in June by WHO, while Africa was a certified polio-free continent on Aug. 24.
He said governments should create demand for people to make use of health centres especially in rural areas, through availability of qualified medical personnel and supply of drugs.
He added that strengthening of health system was critical to sustain Nigeria and Africa as polio-free.
“We need to make people to take advantage of the Primary Health Centres (PHCs) made available to them, especially in rural areas.
“The Primary Health Care Board is a grassroots intervention to work with people in rural areas.
“Governments need to strengthen the institutional capacity of the health system at the grass roots; people do not have to go to Plateau Specialist Hospital or any tertiary institution to access health care,” the coordinator said.
He said access to medication at the community level would help to sustain the fight against a range of preventive diseases, including polio.
He said there was need to create awareness and sensitise the public especially in the rural areas, on how to prevent the disease through routine immunisation of children.
“We are happy and congratulate our nation for attaining this height of being polio-free; what we need to sustain it, is intensive awareness creation in the community.
“Women should be encouraged to go for antenatal where they will be advised to keep safe their pregnancy to the point of birth and nurture children well.
“We need to create demand at the community level that the hospital is the best way to go for healthcare services, where they would be advised appropriately on routine immunisation to prevent diseases such as polio through routine immunisation,” Dancher said.(NAN)
