The Federal Government has commenced the distribution of medical equipment and essential medicines valued at more than N23 billion to all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory as part of efforts to revitalise Primary Health Care (PHC) under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, announced this after performing the flag-off at the Prose Warehouse, Idu Industrial Area, Abuja.
Pate described the intervention as a promise fulfilled under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership, aimed at repositioning PHC as the foundation of Nigeria’s health system and restoring confidence in community-level facilities.
“For too long, PHCs were under-resourced, forcing mothers to travel long distances for delivery, children to miss vaccinations and communities to lose confidence. That is changing,” he said.
According to him, 500 priority facilities will be equipped with 56 categories of essential equipment, including autoclaves, delivery beds, ultrasound machines and incubators.
He added that 80 types of essential medicines such as antimicrobials, antimalarials, antihypertensives, insulin and family planning commodities would also be distributed nationwide.
Pate noted that the equipment, worth more than N9 billion, and medicines valued at over N14 billion, were funded through federal appropriations and donor support.
Highlighting progress, he said 1,295 PHCs had been refurbished in the past year, with 38 powered by solar energy to ensure reliable service. He added that 69,106 frontline health workers had been trained, while 60,000 received uniforms and kits in partnership with the Renewed Hope Initiative of the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
He explained that states were complementing federal efforts with staff recruitment. “Kaduna has added 216 skilled birth attendants and 969 community health workers; Yobe has added 164 and 258 respectively, while other states are advancing recruitment,” he said.
On the MAMII Initiative, Pate said more than 411,000 pregnant women had been enrolled across 21 states, with 30,000 receiving antenatal care, 9,000 transport vouchers and 14,000 emergency obstetric interventions.
He added that the progress reflected the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp), which aligns federal agencies, states and partners under a Compact signed with the president.
Pate acknowledged support from Gavi, the Global Fund, UNICEF, UNFPA, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and private sector contributors providing warehousing and logistics.
To ensure accountability, he said every distributed item would be electronically tracked, with oversight from the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and other relevant agencies.
The minister further announced preparations for a nationwide Measles-Rubella vaccination campaign in October, targeting more than 100 million children under 14 with vaccines and integrated interventions for nutrition and malaria.
“These efforts are clear evidence that the Renewed Hope Agenda is real and that Nigeria’s health system is regaining the trust of its people,” he said.
(NAN)