Sultan calls for national health conference

By The Citizen

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar, on Friday urged the Federal Government to convene a national health summit to discuss common problems militating against the development of the sector.

Abubakar made the call while receiving the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, in Sokoto.

He urged the stakeholders to come out with a blue print of action on how to develop the sector for its optimal goals.

The sultan explained that the summit's recommendation would be made a policy for the present and future governments to implement and to ensure qualitative healthcare delivery.

Abubakar said that already, royal fathers from the 19 northern states had resolved to use religious leaders in the fight against polio.

He said that the approaches from the religious point of view would enable the parents to allow their children to be immunised.

The sultan said that the monarchs would continue to identify and mobilise people to support the policies and programmes that would improve the health of the people.

'Without good health, one cannot worship his creator hence, the need for us to come out with strong physical mobilisation and sensitisation on the six childhood killer diseases,' the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the Sultan as saying at the forum.

Abubakar commended the efforts of Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State for constructing 230 rural primary health centres across the state.

He said the projects would ensure active participation of rural people in search of medical attention.