Enugu Govt, Water Aid Nigeria Partner To Improve Facilities In primary Health Centres

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Saturday, November 20th, 2021

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Enugu state Government in collaboration with Water Aid Nigeria, and other Civil Society Organisations (CSO’s) operating in the state, are set to conduct a situational assessment of water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in the primary health-care centres of the 17 Council Areas of the state.

Speaking at a workshop in Enugu with the theme: “stakeholders engagement to conduct a situational assessment of water, sanitation and hygiene in primary health-care centres in Enugu,’ the state Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, said that the situational assessment will help the state government generate data which will form a base in tackling WASH challenges in the health centres.

Represented by His Special Adviser on Water Resources, Mr. Dubem Onyia, he noted that it will also compliment the efforts of the state government and the Ministry of Water Resources on the quest to have a data base of WASH facilities in 17 Council areas across the State.

According to him, “health centres are regarded as part of basic amenities provided in the rural or small towns to handle the health challenges in those areas.”

“It has been observed mostly that in Enugu state, not all our health centres have access to water and sanitation facilities. So the idea of conducting this assessment on WASH as it affects our health centres is a welcome development. That is why anything Water Aid brings to Enugu state, they tend to bring in new concept.”

“We assure them that they have our full support to ensure that this exercise is very successful. We will do our best to work well with them”.

Also speaking, the program Effectiveness and Learning, Water Aid Nigeria, Mr. Essien Ukeme, stressed that the situational assessment is to ensure that there is a platform and basis with the right level of data for government to start taking strategic plans towards improving health-care facilities in the state.

Ukeme noted out that the assessment will be a wide range exercise aimed at primarily looking at five key issues which includes water, sanitation, hygiene, waste disposal and understanding the environment of public health-care centres with their current mode of operations.

“The assessment will showcase issues around availability, equitability for water sanitation and hygiene” he stated.

According to him, “Others are functionality of inclusive gender facilities as well as people and disability friendly facilities that people can use in public health care centres.

“This assessment will highlight gaps and proffer solutions for government to move forward. Hopefully it will set the tone for development partners, for government all alike to start responding to improve the situation of health-care facilities in Enugu state.”

He however, commended the Enugu State government, UNICEF, South- Saharan Development Organization and other CSO’S for their support in improving Water, Sanitation and hygiene in the State.

The WaterAid Chief further advocated for more improvement in WASH services to the people of Enugu state, stressing that “Water Aid is always willing to provide technical expertise and knowledge to support the state in anyway necessary.

Commissioner for Health in Enugu state, Dr . Emmanuel Ikechukwu Obi who was represented by Dr. Mrs. Ifeoma Otiji, stated that this situational assessment will address the bottle neck and gaps in sanitation and hygiene in the primary health sector in Enugu state.

She assured that the ministry of health is in full support of the assessment and promise they will bring out participants for the survey. She also noted that after the assessment ,that gap would have been exposed and they will take it from there