WHO, UNICEF, community leaders praise Mbah’s focus on primary healthcare

The World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and community leaders have praised Governor Peter Mbah for his big investment and commitment to primary healthcare in Enugu State.

This praise came as the Executive Secretary of the Enugu State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (ENSPHDA), Dr Ifeyinwa Ani-Osheku, shared that the state saw an increase in visits to its Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) from 800,000 to 1.4 million. This is an 80 per cent increase. There was also a rise in Penta-3 immunisation coverage from 78.5 per cent to 88.9 per cent, which is above the national target of 85 per cent.

They gave these commendations during the combined 2026 Biannual Meeting and Supportive Supervisory Visit by Governor Mbah to the Type 2 Primary Healthcare Centre in Ihe Ward, Nsukka Local Government Area on Tuesday.

Dr Chukwumuanya Igbonekwu, the South East Zonal Coordinator of WHO Nigeria, spoke about the governor’s ongoing visits to the state’s PHC facilities. He called these visits a strong way to ensure accountability, motivation, and improvement in service delivery. He said, “Therefore, WHO highly commends the Government of Enugu State for prioritising health sector investments and creating an environment for key public health programmes.” He promised WHO’s continued support to help build strong health systems for current and future health challenges.

Juliet Chiluwe, the Chief of UNICEF Field Office in Enugu, was represented by Health Logistics Consultant Dr Charles Abel. He praised the governor for his “steadfast commitment to optimising primary healthcare service delivery across the state.” He added, “Routine field oversight of this nature is clear evidence of a leadership that prioritises the health, survival, and well-being of its citizens, particularly vulnerable women and children.” He reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to supporting the government.

Governor Mbah held separate meetings with traditional rulers and women leaders of Nsukka LGA. He mentioned that his administration invested heavily in building 260 PHCs across the 260 wards of the state to ensure that no one is left behind. He expressed happiness that these investments have helped reduce maternal mortality. He insisted that the state aims for zero maternal mortality because “no woman should die giving birth in any part of Enugu State.”

The governor urged traditional rulers, women leaders, and other grassroots leaders to use their influence to raise awareness, support immunisation, and promote antenatal and postnatal care. He also asked them to encourage subscription to universal healthcare coverage and monitor service delivery at their PHCs, reporting any gaps to the authorities.

“I have also listened to our elders. We are going to have the MRI, the CT scan, and all the radiological services at the State University of Medical and Applied Sciences (SUMAS) Teaching Hospital so that you do not have to travel to Enugu to get full healthcare services. This I guarantee you,” he assured.

Dr Ani-Osheku noted that primary healthcare has seen a significant improvement under the Mbah administration. She said, “We built 260 brand-new health centres, one in every ward of Enugu State. Not one community left behind.”

She continued, “We added 3,380 hospital beds and 520 baby cots at the ward level, a capacity this state had never seen in its primary health system. We recruited 2,250 health workers and placed doctors in charge so that competence is not just for the city alone. The share of our mothers delivering safely, in trained hands, leapt from 40.9 per cent to 59.3 per cent in just six months.”

She added, “When we came in, our people made 800,000 visits to our health centres in a year. Today they make over 1.4 million (80% increase) because we made the clinics worth walking into.”

Dr Ani-Osheku said they nearly tripled malaria treatment access, put clinics on computers, cut waiting times for care by nearly 70 per cent, tripled available medicines, and brought ultrasound scans to the wards.

In their comments, Jude Asogwa, Chairman of Nsukka LGA; Dr Sunday Okafor, Chairman of the Enugu State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA); and Prof George Ugwu, the Commissioner for Health in Enugu State, praised Governor Mbah’s commitment to health. Mr Asogwa assured, “So, as you are going back to Enugu, just have it at the back of your mind that you, our President, and all your lineup will be delivered in the 2027 general election.”