Health
Kaduna govt deepens partnership with LGAs on primary healthcare.
Kaduna State government has intensified efforts to strengthen primary healthcare delivery by domesticating the Open Government Partnership (OGP) framework across its 23 local government areas.
The commitment was reaffirmed on Monday at the opening of a three-day orientation workshop for local government chairpersons and key stakeholders in Kaduna.
Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Health, Umma Ahmed, said sustainable improvements in health outcomes could only be achieved when governance systems are open, inclusive, responsive and accountable to the people they serve.
Ms Ahmed said the state has remained a leading sub-national government in Nigeria’s OGP journey through the implementation of State Action Plans, which have recorded notable achievements in fiscal transparency, citizen engagement, procurement reforms, and social accountability.
The commissioner noted that the local government is the foundation of Primary Health Care delivery, and that it is at this level that communities interact most directly with government.
She said the domestication of OGP at the local government level offers several opportunities, which include transparency and citizens’ access to information.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Mukhtar Ahmed, said their core mandate is to ensure that every kobo spent by the government translates into tangible, sustainable development for citizens.
Mr Ahmed said the training workshop would guide the trainees through the practical mechanics of setting up LGA-level permanent dialogue mechanisms, also known as the OGP Steering Committees.
“These structures will bring government officials and civil society representatives to the same table to co-create your first Local Government Action Plans (LGAPs),” he said.
“We are intentionally focusing this rollout on primary healthcare service delivery. This is because health is the foundation of human capital development.”
According to him, open governance would help improve primary healthcare financing, strengthen resource tracking and ensure that investments translate into better outcomes for vulnerable women and children across the state’s 23 LGAs.
Delivering a goodwill message on behalf of development partners, Anthony Shamang said the OGP initiative provided a framework for engaging communities and ensuring that health services remained accessible and responsive to citizens’ needs.
He urged local government leaders to embrace open governance principles to foster trust, participation and accountability.
“By working together, we can create an environment where citizens are informed, involved and able to hold their leaders accountable for the quality of health services provided,” Mr Shamang said.
Also speaking, Ekanem Isichei, the deputy director of communications at the Gates Foundation, commended the Kaduna State for bringing local government chairmen together to move OGP from principle to practice, with a clear focus on strengthening primary health care.
He said ultimately, plans or committees will not judge OGP, but by whether resources reach facilities and services that impact the people.
“This means setting clear, measurable priorities in your budgets—and aligning spending to PHC outcomes, not just line items.
“Tracking releases and utilisation of funds regularly, to ensure what is planned is actually delivered.” Mr Isichei said.
READ ALSO: Jigawa primary healthcare agency, WHO destroy expired noodles
He urged participants to develop plans by identifying two to three financing or service delivery bottlenecks they will fix within the next 12 months and to track them publicly.
“If each LGA does this well, Kaduna State will not just implement OGP, it will demonstrate what accountable, results-driven governance looks like in practice.
He also reaffirmed the foundation’s support for the state in strengthening health financing, accountability and service delivery systems.
Plateau State has recorded 11 confirmed cases of cholera, five deaths and 53 suspected cases, according to the state Commissioner for Health, Nicholas Baamlong.
Mr Baamlong disclosed this to journalists on Sunday in Jos, saying the confirmed and suspected cases were reported in Pushit, Mangu 1 and Mangu 2 communities in Mangu Local Government Area (LGA).
He said the Ministry of Health is intensifying public health interventions to contain the outbreak, prevent further spread and minimise its impact on affected communities.
He explained that the state had taken decisive actions to control the outbreak and protect its citizens via the deployment of additional Response Teams (RRTs) to the affected wards, scaling up of treatment centres and isolation capacity and the emergency procurement of Rapid Diagnostic Tests Kits, intravenous fluids and essential drugs.
The Commissioner further said that the ministry had activated an Incident Management System (IMS), for a comprehensive and multi sectorial response to the outbreak.
READ ALSO:Cholera Outbreak: 74 dead, over 7,800 cases strain Borno facilities
“The activation of the IMS ensures a coordinated, efficient, and accountable response structure in line with national and international emergency response frameworks,” he said.
Mr Baamlong explained that cholera is an acute diarrhoeal disease caused by consuming food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.
He urged residents of Mangu LGA and neighbouring communities to remain vigilant and take preventive measures, including drinking safe water, maintaining proper hand hygiene, avoiding open defecation, and ensuring proper waste disposal.
He also advised residents to promptly report suspected cases of cholera to the nearest healthcare facility for immediate attention.
While reaffirming the state government’s commitment to safeguarding the health and well-being of residents, Mr Baamlong called on development partners and other stakeholders to support ongoing response efforts. (NAN)
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has alerted healthcare providers, importers, distributors and caregivers to the recall of approximately 90,000 bottles of Children’s Ibuprofen Oral Suspension in the US due to contamination concerns.
In a public alert issued on Saturday, the agency said it received notification that the United States Food and Drug Administration had announced the recall following reports of foreign material in the product.
According to NAFDAC, the recall was initiated by Strides Pharma Inc. after consumers complained of a “gel-like mass” and “black particles” in the oral suspension.
Children’s Ibuprofen Oral Suspension, USP (100 mg/5 mL), is commonly used to relieve pain associated with the common cold, flu, sore throat, headache and toothache in children, and to reduce fever.
Health risks
NAFDAC warned that the presence of foreign material in medicinal products could compromise their quality, safety and effectiveness.
The agency noted that administering contaminated oral suspensions may result in adverse reactions, particularly among children, and could pose choking or gastrointestinal risks depending on the nature of the contaminant.
Affected products
The affected product is Children’s Ibuprofen Oral Suspension, USP, 100 mg/5 mL, packaged in 120 mL (4 fl. oz.) bottles.
The product was manufactured by Strides Pharma Inc. in India for Taro Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
NAFDAC said the affected batches are lot numbers 7261973A and 7261974A, with an expiry date of 31 January 2027.
The recalled products were distributed nationwide in the US.
Surveillance in Nigeria
Although the affected products were distributed and recalled within the US, NAFDAC said it is taking precautionary measures to prevent them from entering Nigeria through authorised or unauthorised channels.
The agency said it had directed all its zonal directors and state coordinators to intensify surveillance activities and remove the products from circulation if found in their jurisdictions.
“NAFDAC remains committed to safeguarding public health and will continue surveillance activities to ensure the quality, safety and efficacy of medicines circulating in Nigeria,” the agency said.
Advice to healthcare providers, parents
NAFDAC advised importers, distributors, retailers and healthcare professionals to remain vigilant and ensure that medical products are sourced only from authorised and licensed suppliers.
The agency also urged healthcare facilities to immediately inspect their inventories and quarantine any affected batches if identified.
Parents and caregivers who possess the recalled products, or who may have administered them to children, were advised to stop using them immediately and seek medical attention if any unusual reactions are observed.
READ ALSO: NAFDAC destroys counterfeit, expired products worth N1.8bn in Abuja
NAFDAC further encouraged healthcare professionals and members of the public to report adverse reactions associated with medicinal products through its pharmacovigilance channels, including its e-reporting platform and the Med Safety mobile application.
The agency said reports could also be submitted through the nearest NAFDAC office or via its designated pharmacovigilance email address.
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