In an effort to improve the quality of Data on Routine Immunization exercise at community level, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano state, was at Sani Marshall PHC, in Kura Local Government to witness Routine Immunization Data Reconciliation meeting.
The exercise which involved community leaders including the Village Head of Azore, Alhaji Garba Labaran along with his Ward Heads met with PHC staff to compare notes where they registered new born children and those under One year.
Also at the meeting , were representatives of World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, Bill Melinda and Gates Foundation and Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), who appreciated the strategy and the commitment shown by both parties, traditional leaders and health workers.
To ensure a perfect exercise , Wards Heads from 11 locations under Azore Village, reconciled their records by comparing with what they have at hand with those of the Primary Health facilities..
At a point, the records that didn’t reconcile with that of the PHC facility workers, proved to be as a result of family relocation, from one Ward to another or from that local government to another. That differences (only 2) were easily detected and reconciled, there and then.
Speaking at the event, Governor Ganduje assured that his administration would work tirelessly to make sure that the development of primary health care delivery system remains moving up and up, saying that, “This strategy is superb and very encouraging.”
To also show his satisfaction of the strategy he said, “I will be sending my Commissioners to similar Reconciliation Meetings across the state. For them to also monitor and be conversant with the process to appreciate the work we are doing. This will also encourage the actors. I mean the community leaders and the health workers.”
He appreciated the authentication of the Data collected, as a strategy for improving the quality of the Data in the registers of community leaders and the PHC health workers, “…I am also calling on our people to be supportive of this,” he stated.
He reminded that the authentication process, Reconciliation meetings are absolutely necessary and important. Emphasising that, “With this, we are telling our development partners that we are up and doing in this process. And we are also showing them that our efforts in this and other areas have come to stay.”
Representative of WHO, Dr Bashir Abba commended the governor for his administration’s commitnent to making sure that healthy population thrives in the state. “We all come to understand that universal health coverage is the fastest, easiest and more accessible in improving our health,” he said.
Dr Abba reveals that the Organisation would be in Kano to ascertain the total wiping out of the Polio, as the absence is recorded for over two years now, adding that, “Kano is doing very well and we are all appreciating that.”
Representative of Bill Melinda and Gates Foundation, Harolyne J. Appia appreciated that, the visit to Kura showed them how local communities are linked to the Primary Health Care delivery system, “This also shows your commitment in this area Your Excellency,” she commended.
She appreciated the financial management, data quality, community engagement among others, which she observed, were given all the necessary attention from Ganduje administration, insisting that “We are calling for a continuous commitment as shown by the leadership of Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. We are all determined to continue supporting you.”
Dr Hashimu Abubakar who represented Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) also commended the effort of the state government for taking along communities in the primary health care delivery system.
“We also appreciate the Monthly meeting between government and the local communities. We will continue to work and in hand with your government in the primary health care system, so as to improve the health of the populace ,” he encouraged.
In his remarks , the Commissioner for Health, Dr Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa disclosed that the PHC facility attends to over 300 people. Adding that “All the Ward Heads and are doing their best in this area. That is why we are recording these feats.”
“It is through the engagement of our community leaders that we found it very easy to detect those children that are vaccinated and those that were not vaccinated. So the immunization of our new born are taken care of,” he said.
It was said at the meeting that over 10,000 books, that serve as Manuals were distributed to the community leaders for easy understanding of the exercise.
