The Ogun State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Primary Health Care and building resilient health systems through sustained investment in innovation, accountability and human capital development.

 Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker stated this at the graduation of Cohort 1.0 and unveiling of Cohort 2.0 of the National Health Fellowship Programme at the June 12 Cultural Centre, describing the initiative as a transformative intervention in grassroots healthcare delivery.

The National Health Fellowship Programme is a Federal Government initiative under the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, aligned with President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, designed to strengthen Primary Health Care across Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Areas through the deployment of young health professionals, with one Fellow selected and assigned to each of Ogun State’s 20 Local Government Areas to drive grassroots impact.

Dr. Coker, who disclosed that Ogun State had recorded measurable gains from the programme, noted that over the past year, the Fellows deployed across the 20 Local Government Areas of the State worked within nine key thematic impact areas to deliver practical and people-centred interventions.

She said over 5,000 residents benefitted from targeted medical outreaches, with hundreds treated for malaria, hypertension and diabetes, essential medicines distributed free of charge and safe deliveries supported, while thousands also benefitted from WASH interventions, including renovation of public facilities, distribution of sanitary materials in schools and community sensitisation to improve hygiene practices.      

The Commissioner added that more than 500 women were educated on nutrition, antenatal care and safe delivery practices, digital innovations such as MamaReach were introduced to strengthen emergency referrals, and during national immunisation campaigns Fellows served as supervisors and mobilisers to improve reporting accuracy, cold chain compliance and coverage monitoring.

“Our Fellows have delivered measurable impact by monitoring over 200 Primary Health Care centres, installing solar lighting in underserved facilities and revitalising previously dormant PHCs through stakeholder collaboration, thereby restoring essential services to communities across the State,” she stated.

In his goodwill message, the State Coordinator, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Mr. Folarin Solape, noted that leadership development remained a central pillar of the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, expressing confidence that the National Health Fellowship Programme would significantly contribute to strengthening leadership capacity of the youths engaged in it.

Reacting, two National Health Fellows 2.0, Paulina Ademola and Oluwasegun Shotunde who represented Ijebu East and Abeokuta North respectively, expressed their intention to build upon the achievements of their predecessors, aiming to identify and address other health challenges within their local governments and propose sustainable solutions.

On their part, National Health Fellows 1.0, representatives from Yewa North and Ado Odo-Ota LGAs, Adeogo Bankole and Janet Olaniyi,  appreciated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Coordinating Minister for Health, Dr. Ali-Pate, Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun and the Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, for the opportunity and supportive environment provided for them during the course of the programme, pledging to continue their projects to ensure that other communities, which were not reached during their programme also benefit from it.