National President of the National Association of Community Health Workers of Nigeria (NACHPN), Comrade Kabir Yahaya Ahmed has declared that their mandate as an Association is a substantive avenues to improve upon the capacity of members for the attainment of accessible healthcare services and activities which must be achieved for the benefit of health consumers in Nigeria.
The President of NACHPN made the declaration on Tuesday at the opening ceremony of the 2024 National Scientific Conference held in Bauchi.
According to him, tremendous improvement has been achieved in collaboration with the Federal and State Ministries of Health, through the National and state primary healthcare development agencies, community health practitioners registrations board of Nigeria, as well relevant donor agencies and partners in the target to keep members abreast of the current global best practices as frontline healthcare workforce in Nigeria.
He stressed that community health, as a noble profession in the health and social sectors of the country, cannot be pushed away adding that the national scientific conference as an integral part of its constitution avails participants with knowledge about the capacity, impacts and the prospects of Community Health Practitioners (CHPs) in Nigeria.
According to him, “Our target for this gathering is to provide relevant information, evaluate progress and synchronize unanimous decision of our members for synergy and strategic development in primary healthcare. Providing our members (CHPs) with access to useful information and opinions which are gathered for innovative development on global standard towards achieving set goals in the Nigerian health system.”
He explained that the World Health Organization in 2020, estimate maternal mortality ratio in the African region at 531 deaths per 100,000 live births and National Bureau of Statistics report shows; that Nigeria’s maternal mortality rate (MMR) is 1,047 deaths per 100,000 live births, which is the fourth highest in the world.
Kabir Ahmed added that, “Also in 2024, the country’s infant mortality rate is 53,674 deaths per 1,000 live births. Over the past five years; infant and under-five mortality rates have remained steady in Nigeria at 74 and 117 deaths per 1,000 live births, respectively. These stands distance above the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)target for 2030.
“Our utmost priority in this regards as critical stakeholder in the grass-root healthcare services and significant custodian of primary healthcare system in Nigeria, is to compliment government’s efforts through effective service delivery that is committed to set objectives to containing this unacceptably high health indices that has often plunge the rural communities in danger.
“Therefore, the impactful roles of our members in various capacities; most importantly across Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities and training institutions in Nigeria need a re-centered emphasis on specialised skills for improved commitment to actualization of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 3) in Nigeria, which I am happy to inform you about the specialized program under the Community Health Institute (CHI) designed by the board will play acritical role for the practitioners,
“I will also want to use this opportunity to inform community health practitioners in our effort to align members with trend of government policies and condition of services concern with community health profession in Nigeria, the attention of our members is hereby requested on the consideration for academics and professional relevant.
“It is therefore imperative that NACHPN chooses to sensitise members to avail themselves with authorize information relevant to the profession and that any services and programmes engage in authorize institution only shall be considered appropriately and also admonish community health Practitioners to advance in relevant academic programmes.
“In view of the above and of the fact that the community health profession health workforce as a corner stone in the sector, I want to admonish firm unity, coherence and collective ownership of responsibilities among community health practitioners.
“To the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Sir, you will recall the provisions of (Act, Cap. N69, LFN 2004) National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, which provides for judicious inclusion of Community Health Practitioners Registration Board of Nigeria and the Association of Community Health Practitioners of Nigeria in the composition of her governing board.
“This is in cognizance with the critical roles of Registered Community Health Practitioners in the National Health Policies especially for Primary Health Care System in Nigeria.
“It is on this note, I crave your indulgence to the need to consider adoption and ensure substantive inclusion of community health practitioners in the recruitment at the National Primary Health Development Agency and other relevant departments of the Health and Social l Welfare Ministry.”
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