Commemoration Of International World Health Day.

The Center for Advocacy, Transparency and Accountability Initiative (CATAI) joins the world in commemorating World Health Day. The commemorations come at a critical time as the world battles the COVID-19 pandemic which, to date has resulted in 62,784 deaths and 1,133,758 confirmed cases worldwide according to the World Health Organization’s Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report –76, of the 5th of April 2020. We wish to acknowledge and applaud the efforts of all health care workers and essential services at the frontline of this pandemic.

As we are in the tenth year of the insurgency in northeastern Nigeria, access to health services remains a major challenge across many locations, particularly in Borno State due to inaccessibility to reach some communities. Many humanitarian organizations providing health services restricted their logistical operations due to the insecurity, further limiting access to populations in need of critical medical services. Recently displaced persons were subjected to risk of not having access to healthcare facilities especially those from Marte, Guzamala and Kukawa Local Governments which is a basic and essential fundamental right.

We will continue to advocate for more improvement in providing access to affordable healthcare to over 5,600,000 people in need, protection of the rights of the citizens is fundamental and crucial at this critical time. We continue to lament the poor working conditions of health workers, particularly those on the frontline in the response to the insurgency and also the recent pandemic COVID-19, who are at great risk.

We urge the Government to provide effective WaSH facilities in most of the IDP Camps to help in promoting hygiene and increasing sensitization as a way to prevent the outbreak of the COVID-19. With the influx of IDPs in Maiduguri and Jere stretching the available health facilities, we urge the Borno state Government to fast-track the process of providing citizens with effective healthcare especially by commissioning the facilities constructed under the World Bank Multi Sectoral Crises Recovery project in many communities and LGAs with new healthcare facilities.

Finally, we urge the Government to ensure that health workers are afforded decent remuneration and risk allowances to boost their moral and attendant health outcomes especially those working in the affected communities.

Abubakar sadiq Muazu
Chief Executive Officer