Bayelsa State Enhances Healthcare With UNICEF, GAVI Assistance

By Eunice Nnachi in Yenagoa*

Bayelsa State, in collaboration with UNICEF and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), has launched a comprehensive healthcare improvement initiative.

The three-year-old project aims to improve healthcare accessibility by renovating and upgrading primary care centres throughout the state.

On the second day of the tour, Dr. Egbe Abe, a UNICEF Health Specialist from the Port Harcourt Field Office, highlighted the important progress made.

He stated that the collaboration helped the state government renovate and upgrade ten health facilities, making healthcare more accessible to the public.

The tour, which included stops at Zarama and Yenegwe Primary Health Care Centres in Yenagoa Local Government Area, demonstrated how these facilities had been transformed.

The communities expressed their appreciation for the facelift, which included fencing, painting, and expansion, resulting in a significant increase in the number of women and children receiving healthcare services.

Dr. Williams Appah, Executive Secretary of Bayelsa Primary Health Care Board, highlighted the improvements seen in all of the facilities visited.

He emphasised the employment of over 2,000 healthcare workers and the involvement of over 800 GAVI-supported workers.

The state government has also approved the recruitment of healthcare workers for Primary Health Care services.

The project’s goal is to make healthcare facilities more functional, increase humanity, and promote healthcare development in Bayelsa State.

The communities were advised to use the government-provided facilities, which had been upgraded by UNICEF, GAVI, and other development partners.

The tour included stops at facilities in Otuoke, Elebele, and other locations, demonstrating the state’s dedication to improving healthcare infrastructure and services.

GAVI and UNICEF renovated the facilities under the GAVI MOU with the state’s Primary Health Care, and I must say that it was a fantastic activity because, based on my observations, all of the facilities have improved.”

“With the new improvement, we will have more women and children accessing the health care system in all facilities; it has also provided functionality, increased humanity, and health care development in Bayelsa state.”

“And for mothers, carers, and community members, the advice is to use the facilities provided by the government and upgraded by UNICEF, GAVI, and other development partners.”

“The ten renovated and upgraded health care centres are scattered across the state; you have them in Angiama in Southern Ijaw local government, one in Angalabiri and Ogobiri in Sagbama, Egbebiri around Biseni and Akaibiri in Yenagoa local government area, and we have one in Kaiama in Kolokuma/Opokuma local government, and they have all been put to use with solar to provide 24-hour lights.

“The government has also approved the employment of health care workers in Primary Health Care services, with approval for over 2,000 people; the processes are still ongoing.”

Then we must understand that this GAVI HSS MOU has engaged GAVI-supported workers totaling over 800. Then the call goes out again for health care workers to go to work; you are the community’s health security personnel.”

“We thank GAVI, UNICEF, WHO, SOLINA Consortium, MRITE, Corona Management Services, NPHCDA, and the State team,” ES stated.