Health Ministry, Assembly Moves to Strengthen Primary Health Care System in Kaduna

By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna 

In a renewed push to transform primary health care (PHC) delivery in Kaduna State, the Ministry of Health and the State Primary Health Care Board, in collaboration with the Kaduna State House of Assembly and with support from the EngenderHealth-led consortium, on Monday held a one-day interactive session aimed at improving health outcomes across the state.

The engagement brought together lawmakers, civil society groups, and health stakeholders to assess the status of PHC systems and agree on collaborative actions needed to address persistent challenges, especially in rural communities.

Speaking on behalf of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker Rt. Hon. Magaji Henry emphasized the universal importance of health, describing it as a basic need that transcends social and economic class.

He commended the leadership of Professor Bello Jamoh, the Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Primary Health Care Board, for his exceptional performance in managing the state’s health system.

He announced that plans were underway to recruit between 2,000 new health workers to close the critical human resource gap in the sector. 

According to him, “You can have all the infrastructure and medication, but without the right personnel, service delivery will fall short.”

The Deputy Speaker pledged the Assembly’s continued support for policies and legislative actions that would strengthen primary health care services. 

He stressed that all arms of government must work in synergy, stating, “Any divide that exists between our roles is very thin, if it exists at all. We are partners, not just in name, but in function.”

In his welcome address, Professor Bello Jamoh, the Executive Secretary KDSPHB, speaking on behalf of the Honourable Commissioner for Health, said the meeting was born out of the urgent need to do things differently. 

“Despite past efforts, health outcomes, particularly in maternal and child health, remain unsatisfactory. He noted that the PHC level handles nearly 88 percent of health issues, underscoring the importance of prioritizing this tier,” He said.

Jamoh explained that the session aimed to update lawmakers on the realities in the health sector, identify key service gaps, and propose practical policy solutions. He expressed hope that the engagement would be the beginning of a broader reform effort.

Also speaking at the session, Hon. Muhammed Usman, Vice Chairman of the Legislative Advocacy Initiative for Sustainable Development (LISDEL), applauded the legislature’s sustained collaboration with civil society and health institutions. He pointed out that many existing laws governing primary health care were outdated and required urgent review.

He revealed that local government commissioner recently flagged legal gaps that are hindering PHC effectiveness and called for a dedicated policy dialogue to amend the relevant legislation. He also stressed the importance of legislative oversight, urging lawmakers to visit PHC facilities and engage communities.

“Oversight is not about blame, it’s about finding solutions, we need to remove the mistrust and work together to fix the system,” Usman said.

There was with a strong consensus among participants on the need for continued collaboration across all sectors to revitalize primary health care in Kaduna State and improve health outcomes for all.