The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) says it will replicate the Community Health Influencers, Promoters and Services (CHIPS) Programme across the country by December.
The agency also honoured the Ministers of Health Prof. Isaac Adewole0, and Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Aisha Abubakar, as CHIPS Champions.
The Executive Director of the agency, Dr Faisal Shuaib, made this known on Monday in Abuja during the annual review meeting of the Community Health Influencers, Promoters and Services Programme.
He said CHIPS was a community based initiative designed to consolidate and harmonise all community level healthcare interventions and services under the guidance of the Federal Government.
He added that the programme was aimed to minimise the huge gap around human resources for health at community level in order to deliver most basic services to the under-served rural population.
Shuaib said President Muhammdu Buhari inaugurated CHIPS programme in February 2018 in Nasarawa state; he also directed the agency through the federal ministry of health to ensure every ward had 10 CHIPS agents.
According to him, the President also directed that the programme should be replicated in the 36 states and the FCT.
“As we roll out the CHIPS programme across the states by December, we will be making a giant leap when it comes to providing basic health care,’’ he said.
The executive director said no society makes progress without recognising the efforts of its citizen.
He added that NPHCDA recognised the outstanding work the minister of health had been doing on strengthening primary health care system.
“Beyond what the minister of health has done to improve the primary health care system over the past three years, we also honour the minister of women affairs who was the voice for the voiceless especially women and children.
“No society makes adequate progress without ensuring progress of the women folk, anywhere women are uplifted you see that society makes rapid progress,’’ he said.
Mr Annis Sadeeq, representative of the country director UNICEF Nigeria said CHIPS was going to be a game changer in Nigeria.
He added that it would change the narrative about maternal health, neonatal deaths and many other public health challenges.
He noted that development partners were heavily involved with the agency and federal ministry of health in its efforts to address maternal and neonatal death which is high in Nigeria.
He said in spite of the negative maternal and neonatal indices, Nigeria was winning the battle with polio, stressing that the country is just three months to polio certification.
He restated the commitment of development partners support to CHIPS and make it a reality in the remaining states of the country.====NAN
