From Femi Mustapha, in Kaduna
The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Katsina State chapter, has announced the introduction of an annual Award of Excellence to recognize and motivate stakeholders working to address critical health challenges in the state.
The award aims to encourage stakeholders to redouble their efforts in addressing health challenges and ensure the achievement of sustainable development goals.
The Vice Chairman of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) ,Katsina State chapter, Rabo Tambaya, disclosed this during a two-day training workshop organized by the Katsina State Primary Healthcare Agency in collaboration with development partners, including UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Gates Foundation, and Gavi.
The award will cover five systematic areas, including polio eradication campaigns, nutrition, antenatal care (ANC), open defecation eradication, and zero-dose vaccination.
Tambaya announced a personal donation of ₦1 million to support the overall best-performing local government council in these key areas.
The Executive Secretary of the Katsina State Primary Healthcare Agency, Dr. Shamsudeen Yahaya, praised the collaborative effort of stakeholders, noting that the agency has laid out issues and allowed participants to develop work plans to address them. He emphasized the importance of community participation in primary healthcare.
Dr. Asnakew Tsega, Chief of Polio Team, UNICEF Nigeria, commended the Katsina State government and traditional leaders for their commitment to polio eradication. He emphasized the need for the support of local government chairmen and traditional leaders in the polio eradication program.
The workshop culminated in resolutions, including the commitment of local government chairmen to establish or reactivate local government task forces on immunization and provide regular counterpart funding during campaigns. The district heads also resolved to work closely with other stakeholders to ensure non-compliance is resolved.
