Gôvernor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery through strategic partnership with Rotary International and the Rotary Foundation.
Governor Eno said this when he received members of the Rotary International, led by the Chairman, Rotary Foundation, Mr Holger Knaack, during a courtesy visit on Tuesday at Government House in Uyo.
The governor expressed appreciation to the foundation for selecting Akwa Ibom as a pilot state for its Healthy Communities Challenge.
Eno noted that the programme aligns with his administration’s healthcare initiative, which prioritises child survival and maternal health.
He expressed the state government’s readiness to partner with the organisation on health initiatives to improve the wellbeing of residents of the state.
Eno said that his administration had built and renovated primary healthcare centres across the 31 local government areas of the state to ensure accessible and quality healthcare for residents.
“The interventions are designed to strengthen the healthcare delivery system in the state.
“We are building and renovating primary healthcare centres.
“Recently, we awarded the single largest contract for the construction of an International medical centre to redefine medical tourism in this part of the country,” he said.
Earlier, the Country Lead of the Rotary Healthy Communities Challenge, Mr Dele Balogun, said the team was in Akwa Ibom to support the state’s healthcare programmes.
Balogun said that the aim was to reduce child mortality from preventable diseases such as diarrhoea, pneumonia, and malaria.
He added that the organisation had trained volunteers to conduct house-to-house sensitisation and offer free tests and treatment for common childhood ailments.
Balogun added that Akwa Ibom was selected by the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency and sponsored by the Rotary Foundation for the exercise.
He expressed appreciation to partnering organisations for their support.
Similarly, Knaack reaffirmed the foundation’s commitment to the country’s health goals and the global fight against polio.
