By YETUNDE FATUNGASE

Ogun government says it is set to recruit 400 senior Community Health Workers (CHEWs) to complement the workforce at the primary health centres across the state.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, made this known at a stakeholders’ engagement on its 2025 upcoming intervention projects on Thursday in Abeokuta.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the engagement is in collaboration with Immunisation Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services (IMPACT) Project Implementation Unit.

NAN also reports that the health intervention project is supported by the World Bank, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and National Primary Healthcare Development Agency.

It aims at reducing under-five mortality rate and improving access to quality healthcare services beneficial to children and women in selected states.

The programme had in attendance, the 20 local government chairmen, health secretaries, development partners, religious leaders, civil society organisations and ward development committee among others.

Coker said that the meeting was organised to brief stakeholders on the project, just as it was designed to strengthen primary healthcare service delivery and revitalisation of health centres across the state.

The project manager, IMPACT, Dr. Kofoworola Olajide, explained that the programme targeted ensuring a 40 per cent reduction in child mortality rates by improving immunisation coverage in the state.

Olajide noted that part of the project was the revitalisation of 75 primary healthcare centres across the 20 LGAs in the state.

This, she revealed, was recently awarded to successful contractors in the state.

Others, according to her, are training of healthcare workers and providing health facilities with laptops for quality health data.

She assured that the IMPACT project would improve the state’s health indices.

Earlier in his opening remarks, Dr. Elijah Ogunsola, the Executive Secretary of Ogun State Primary Health Care Development Board, reiterated the commitment of the Abiodun-led administration to revitalise the health sector by providing quality health services.

He added that the IMPACT project would help in achieving universal health coverage and improve the well-being of residents.

He noted that the meeting served as a platform to familiarise participants with the project’s objectives, scope, and timelines towards ensuring that all parties involved are on the same page.

Speaking on behalf of the chairmen, the Chairman of Sagamu Local Government Area, Ogbeni Odulate, commended the state government and IMPACT Projects for the initiative.

He submitted that the project would improve healthcare delivery at the grassroots level. (NAN)