Port Harcourt, 28 April 2016 - The World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative (WR), Dr Rui Gama Vaz is in Rivers state to meet with His Excellency, Governor Nyesom Wike and engage the political leadership in strengthening health systems and for the attainment of   the Organization’s reform agenda.

Explaining the objective of his visit to the Governor and other members of the Executive Council, which included the Deputy Governor at the Government House in Port Harcourt on 27 April, 2016, Dr Vaz expressed the need to accelerate the implementation and institutionalization of the WHO reform agenda by utilizing the polio structure and its legacy. He also appealed for overall  improvement in the effectiveness of the health systems in Rivers State.

Before the advent of the present administration in May 2015, health workers in Rivers were embroiled in industrial strike action that lasted for over 12 months and affected the delivery of health services, as well as the full realization of WHO’s mandate in the state. With the resolution of the impasse, and subsequent resumption of uninterrupted activities at all government health centers, a “new lease of life has been injected into the health system, which resulted into massive improvement in health indicators”, Dr Vaz observed.

The progress is easily detected in areas of routine immunization which indicate that the state’s oral polio vaccine (OPV)3 coverage significantly improved from 49% in 2015 to 90% in 2016, thereby translating into reduction of unimmunized children from 39673 to 11483 in 2016 as compared to corresponding period in 2015. Similarly, surveillance data also shows consistent improvement with the current non-polio AFP rate reported at 11.48 as compared to 4.44 in the previous year. 

The visit also afforded Dr Vaz the opportunity to extend appreciation to the government and people of the state for providing the WHO country office with accommodation at the Rivers House in Abuja, following the bombing of the United Nation House on 26 August 2011.

He informed the Governor that through the Country Cooperation Strategy, the WHO country office in Nigeria is well positioned to strengthen the coordination structures and mechanisms for the provision of timely technical support based on Nigeria’s defined health priorities.

In his response, Governor Wike enumerated WHO’s major contributions which include: Strengthening health systems within the context of primary health care and universal health coverage; scaling up priority interventions for communicable and non-communicable diseases; building national capacity for preparedness and response to public health emergencies, and sustaining population resilience towards polio eradication.

He pledged his administration’s unflinching support towards the achievement of WHO’s mandate and the principles enshrined in the transformation agenda.

To immediately demonstrate his resolve, Governor Wike directed the Commissioner for Health to work closely with WHO in all areas related to health in order for the state to optimally benefit from the Organization’s technical expertise.

The WR who already met with the Commissioner of Health Dr Theophilus Odagme and senior staff of the Rivers state Ministry of Health will continue his activities in the state with visits to some health facilities to observe immunization sessions and other primary health care activities.

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For more information, please contact:

Dr William Komakech; Tel: +234 803 960 6377; Email:  komakechw [at] who.int
Dr Sylvester Maleghemi; Tel: +234  806 896 1070; Email:  maleghemis [at] who.int