Sokoto upgrades rural health centres to boost healthcare

File: Sokoto State Governor, Ahmad Aliyu

The Sokoto State Government has intensified efforts to improve healthcare delivery through the construction and renovation of health facilities and the upgrading of selected rural health centres to higher-level medical facilities.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Faruk Abubakar Dan Malikin Wurno, disclosed this on Friday during the flag-off of the Sub-National Immunisation Polio Campaign across the 23 local government areas of the state.

The flag-off ceremony was held at the District Head’s Palace in Durbawa, Kware Local Government Area, where the commissioner was represented by the Special Adviser to Governor Ahmed Aliyu on the Sokoto State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Muhammed Bello Marnona.

He said the government’s commitment to strengthening healthcare infrastructure, alongside support from development partners, had contributed significantly to efforts to eradicate polio and other preventable diseases.

According to him, the government was prioritising healthcare development to ensure that residents, particularly those in rural communities, had access to quality medical services.

The commissioner, however, expressed concern that insecurity and the displacement of residents from remote communities had contributed to the re-emergence of polio in some areas where the disease had previously been brought under control.

He emphasised the importance of vaccination, describing it as the most effective means of preventing the disease.

“The polio vaccine is provided free of charge to children from birth to five years. Parents and caregivers should ensure that their children receive the vaccine to protect them against the disease,” he said.

He also appealed to traditional rulers, community leaders and parents to intensify public awareness and sensitisation to ensure the success of the campaign.

Wurno assured residents that the vaccines were safe and urged them not to entertain misconceptions that could discourage parents from immunising their children.

Similarly, the Acting Executive Secretary of the SSPHCDA, Dr Bilyaminu Yari Sifawa, represented by the Director of Disease Control, Dr Tukur Magajin, said the campaign was designed to achieve total polio eradication and prevent avoidable deaths among children.

He explained that the exercise was part of ongoing interventions by the state government, in collaboration with the Federal Government and development partners, to eliminate polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases.

“Our objective is to ensure that no child in Sokoto State suffers or dies from diseases that can be prevented through vaccination,” he said.

Earlier, the Chairman of Kware Local Government Area, Alhaji Ibrahim Attahir Ruggar Giwa, urged residents to cooperate with health officials and support the immunisation exercise.

He assured the organisers of the local government’s commitment to providing the necessary support to ensure the campaign achieved its objectives.

Representatives of the World Health Organisation, United Nations Children’s Fund, African Field Epidemiology Network and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation also commended the state government for its commitment to improving public health.

They noted that the government’s support would encourage development partners to strengthen their contributions towards tackling public health challenges, particularly diseases affecting children.

In his vote of thanks, the District Head of Durbawa, Alhaji Aminu Buhari Galadiman, represented by the Special Adviser to the Governor on SOSACAT, Hon Sada Ibrahim Durbawa, commended the government for its developmental initiatives, particularly in the health sector.

He urged residents to continue supporting government programmes and cooperating with relevant authorities to ensure their successful implementation.

The event was attended by government officials, directors, district and village heads, traditional rulers and other stakeholders.