Lawrence Ndubeze, Awka
A coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) advocating for improved Primary Health Care (PHC) services in Anambra State has called on the state government to strengthen antenatal, delivery, and postnatal care in PHC facilities across the state.
The call was made in Awka on Tuesday during an advocacy visit to the Executive Secretary of the Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (ASPHCDA).
The meeting focused on enhancing dialogue around the effective utilization of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) and addressing existing gaps in PHC service delivery.
Speaking on behalf of the CSOs, Ify Unachukwu, the State ATM Network Coordinator—represented by Onyekachi Ololo, the State Programme Officer—emphasized the need for efficient and transparent use of the BHCPF at the facility level. She also stressed the importance of ensuring a steady supply of consumables and essential medicines.
Unachukwu further highlighted the need for proper documentation by Officers-in-Charge (OICs) of facilities, noting that accurate record-keeping provides vital data for tracking health outcomes and informing policy decisions.
The CSOs also advocated for gender-responsive primary healthcare services that are inclusive, safe, and sensitive to the needs of women, girls, and persons with disabilities. They urged the government to strengthen maternal and child health services, including referral linkages between primary and secondary health facilities, to prevent avoidable maternal and child deaths.
In her response, the Executive Secretary of ASPHCDA commended the CSOs for their sustained advocacy and reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to improving the transparency and accountability of BHCPF utilization.
She assured the delegation that mechanisms would be strengthened to ensure better documentation by OICs and to integrate gender-responsive approaches into PHC service delivery.
Ikengaonline reports that the advocacy visit ended with a mutual understanding that CSOs would continue to track accountability measures, conduct monitoring visits, and organize capacity-building sessions for OICs on documentation and gender-sensitive healthcare delivery.
The CSOs reaffirmed their commitment to sustained advocacy for increased financing and improved PHC service delivery in Anambra State.
The engagement was widely described as successful, securing assurances of better accountability and reinforcing collaboration between the CSOs, the TB Network, and ASPHCDA.
