•project targets needs of the most vulnerable – Governor Lawal
The Zamfara State government is set to launch a social protection policy and law, an innovative and all-inclusive project, critical in ensuring that its social systems are robust and responsive to the needs of the people, particularly the most vulnerable.
Governor Dauda Lawal dropped the hint on Wednesday at the Government House during a pre-launch meeting with the UNICEF Nigeria Representative, Cristian Munduate.
According to a statement on Thursday by the Governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, also present at the meeting were representatives from the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, the WHO and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI).
The statement noted that the UNICEF Chief expressed satisfaction regarding progress in the Zamfara health sector.
In his address, the Governor described the state’s Gender Policy as, “a significant step towards dismantling barriers and fostering an inclusive environment for all individuals to access opportunities.
“In addition to the Gender Policy, we are also launching the Zamfara State Social Protection Policy and Law. These documents are critical in ensuring that our social systems are robust and responsive to the needs of our people, particularly the most vulnerable.
“The child protection law and its implementation strategy reinforce our commitment to safeguarding children’s rights and well-being.
“As the foundation of our future, we must ensure they have a safe, nurturing environment to achieve their potential.
“The Zamfara State Disability Law demonstrates our commitment to upholding the rights of persons with disabilities. It seeks to eliminate discrimination, enhance accessibility, and promote their inclusion in society. We have involved key stakeholders, including persons with disabilities, to ensure their voices are heard.
“Accordingly, the law will be reviewed for greater inclusiveness, and a board will be established to address the specific needs of the disabled community.
“To realize this and attain our goal of universal access to quality and affordable healthcare, we declared a state of emergency in the health sector.
“Through the Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA), the state government renovated 61 health facilities, including 10 General Hospitals, and intervened in 51 other primary health clinics.
“With direct state government funding, we renovated and upgraded Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital and the General Hospitals in Talata Mafara and Shinkafi, converting them to zonal referral specialist hospitals.
“We have also commenced the construction of a VVF centre for managing maternal health complications and approved the construction of an advanced diagnostic centre as part of our commitment to delivering quality healthcare.
“Our efforts, supported by all partners here, have already begun yielding results across all health system building blocks.
“We successfully halted the circulation of mutant poliovirus in Zamfara State and recorded a significant reduction in vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks, such as measles, meningitis, and yellow fever.
“In 2024, our state recorded only two cases of diphtheria despite large-scale outbreaks in neighbouring states.
“We have also invested significantly in rehabilitating the College of Nursing and Midwifery Gusau and renovating the College for Health Science and Technology Tsafe.
“On investments made by GAVI in our state, we are particularly grateful for your connecting 50 of our primary healthcare centres with solar power which enables them to provide 24-hour services efficiently.”
“This project enhances our capacity to store and distribute vaccines to service points. Your investment in motorized solar boreholes and toilets at 29 healthcare centres improves comfort for workers and patients, strengthening community ties to health facilities.
“We appreciate your support in enrolling 33,000 vulnerable women and children in the state health insurance scheme. This project is one of the most impactful ever, and we are dedicated to sustaining its gains.”
Earlier, Munduate noted that Zamfara is the first subnational health system to get GAVI support, globally.
“We are happy because the results in Zamfara are seen and this will motivate GAVI to continue supporting health interventions at this level and not only at the national interventions,” she said.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
