*By Rotimi Odofin*
The Kogi State Ministry of Health has officially commenced the dissemination of the Joint Annual Review (JAR) Communiqué and accompanying reports to stakeholders within the state’s health sector.
Kogi State Health Commissioner, Dr. Abdulazeez Adams Adeiz underscored the importance of conducting an in-depth assessment of the JAR Communiqué. He highlighted the collective efforts of all participants as essential for enhancing healthcare service delivery for the residents of Kogi State. Dr. Adeiza reiterated the commitment of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s administration to not only maintain the momentum of health development in the state but also to intensify efforts to ensure comprehensive healthcare services.
In a goodwill message, Dr. Olumide, a representative from UNICEF, commended the Kogi State Government for its significant achievements highlighted during the JAR Meeting. He described the performance of the state’s health sector as highly encouraging and worthy of emulation. Dr. Olumide reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to continuing its partnership and support for the state’s efforts in delivering adequate healthcare services.
The Chairman of the State House of Assembly Committee on Health also addressed the gathering, emphasizing that health is a critical component of governance. He pledged to expedite the passage of all health-related bills within the assembly and expressed intentions to advocate for increased funding for the state health sector in the upcoming budgetary cycles.
Providing an overview of the JAR Meeting, Dr. Emmanuel Bola Jonah explained that the Communiqué was convened as part of the “One Plan, One Budget, One Conversation, and One Report” initiative under the Sector Wide Approaches (SWAP). The meeting was chaired by the Director of Health Planning, Research, and Statistics of the state Ministry of Health Mr Johnson Aiyedogbon with the aim and objective to review progress in the state health sector performance under the Sector Wide Approach focusing on key provisions achievements on the implementation and processes and establishing a performance baseline of key outcomes and deepen Multi-sectoral collaboration amongst others.
He noted that participants were drawn from the ten state health MDAS, development partners, representatives of people living with special needs, and civil society organisations.
During the meeting, Mr. Aiyedogbon highlighted several significant accomplishments over the past year. Notably, there has been an increase in health funding, including the timely release of state counterpart funds for various health programs and activities. Additionally, 194 primary health centers across the state have been revitalized, leading to a rise in the number of enrollees accessing healthcare through the State Health Insurance Scheme, facilitated by the consistent allocation of equity funds from the state government.
Furthermore, Mr. Aiyedogbon announced that the administration of Governor Ododo has provided digital medical equipment to the state specialist hospital, thereby expanding the range of health services available to the public.
This dissemination marks a significant step towards 0fostering collaboration and transparency in the health sector, ultimately aiming to improve health outcomes for the people of Kogi State.
Mr Rotimi Odofin, Information Officer Ministry of Health.
