Stakeholders Spotlight Kaduna Health Sector as OGP TWG Host Virtual Meeting

By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna

The SAP III Technical Working Group (TWG) on Improving Service Delivery in the Health and Education Sectors convened an virtual session on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, with a spotlight on the “Update on the Delivery of Health Services in Kaduna State.” 

The event, tagged Citizen’s Level Up, brought together government officials, civil society organizations (CSOs), donor representatives, and health professionals to evaluate the progress of health sector reforms under the State’s Open Government Partnership (OGP) commitments, as part of activities to mark the OGP Week.

The meeting was hosted by Mr. Femi Johnson, Civil Society Co-chair of the TWG, who outlined the main objectives: to update participants on SAP III OGP milestones, review the current status of health service delivery, and identify advocacy priorities. 

He emphasized the need for continued collaboration among CSOs, government agencies, and donor partners to meet outstanding milestones, noting that many require additional funding and technical assistance.

In his presentation, Dr. Sunday Joseph, Director of Health Planning, Research, and Statistics at the Kaduna State Ministry of Health, stated that health is critical to sustainable development and directly impacts productivity and longevity. 

He acknowledged significant investments made in the state’s health system, particularly in primary health care, but noted that a 2021 Health System Assessment revealed lingering weaknesses.

Dr. Joseph explained that Kaduna’s current priorities include improving health infrastructure, human resources, service delivery, financing, and medical supplies. He pointed out that Nigeria faces high maternal and child mortality rates, which are symptoms of poor socioeconomic development. 

Kaduna State, he said, is taking proactive steps to address this challenge through the formulation and implementation of several key policies, including the Human Resource for Health Policy 2025, Public Health Law 2023, Food Safety Policy 2022, and the Adolescent and Young Persons Policy on Health and Development 2021.

He also highlighted major reforms such as the upgrade of 255 primary healthcare centres (PHCs), the equipping of 290 PHCs across the 23 local government areas, the establishment of the Kaduna State Contributory Health Management Authority (KADCHMA) and other health agencies, and the construction of a 300-bed specialist hospital and 136-bed isolation centre. In addition, Kaduna is working to create a Department of Family Health and a state-level Center for Disease Control.

At the national level, Kaduna is actively involved in programs like the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, the Human Opportunity for Prosperity and Equity (HOPE) Project, and the Maternal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII). The latter aims to reduce maternal deaths by 30% within three years, focusing on seven high-burden local government areas in Kaduna State.

Dr. Joseph noted the state’s focus on upgrading PHCs and secondary health facilities to climate-resilient status, expanding health insurance coverage to protect citizens from financial hardship, improving access to essential medicines and vaccines, strengthening emergency medical services, eliminating zero-dose immunization, and empowering women to make informed reproductive health decisions.

Despite these efforts, he listed several persistent challenges: low health sector funding due to limited state revenue, inadequate health personnel especially in rural PHCs, aging infrastructure, weak referral systems, low insurance coverage, inadequate supervision, and lack of climate-resilient health infrastructure. He stressed that addressing these challenges requires support beyond government, calling on all stakeholders to contribute.

Mallam Isah Gidado, Co-chair of the Maternal Accountability in Kaduna Initiative (KADMAM), shared insights into the organization’s collaboration with the Ministry of Health. He noted that KADMAM’s evidence-based advocacy has influenced key policy developments and increased state investment in maternal and child health services. 

The mechanism has also supported the employment of over 1,000 health staff, facilitated routine immunization funding, and promoted citizen engagement through public hearings and the Open Kaduna Health Sector Dialogues.

Gidado urged development partners to support the Open Kaduna Health Sector initiative under SAP III, citing its potential to drive transparency and accountability in the sector.

Other speakers at the meeting raised additional concerns. Dr. Bayero Samuel highlighted the ongoing exodus of trained health professionals from the state due to poor remuneration and working conditions. 

He called for a salary review to encourage retention and the formal recognition of the role of traditional birth attendants. Mrs. Rahila Ishaku Baita advocated for the recruitment of long-serving, qualified PHC volunteers to bolster rural health delivery.

In response, Dr. Joseph revealed that the Kaduna State Government has approved the annual recruitment of 1,800 health workers over the next five years. He assured that qualified volunteers would be considered in the process. He also confirmed that guidelines for traditional birth attendants are being developed and that a salary structure review for health workers is underway.

The meeting, rapped up with a unified commitment to continue pushing for improved health outcomes in the state. 

Among the key takeaways were the need to secure more funding for ongoing reforms, advocate for climate-resilient infrastructure, increase public awareness about effective referral pathways, and promote enrollment in the state’s health insurance scheme, especially within the informal sector.