The Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima has described the Health Nutrition Intervention Programme of the Federal Ministry of Health as the most effective federal intervention in the state. He rendered this assessment on Friday 2nd June, 2017 at the Mid Term meeting of the Health and Nutrition Emergency Response Project (HNERP) in Maiduguri. Governor Shettima said that the programme has not only made tangible impact on the lives of his citizens but is helping to rebuild the health system in the state following the devastation wrought by the insurgency. “I dare to say, of all the interventions from the Federal side, the Health Response has simply been the best & most productive,” he said. He also announced the appointment of the Minister of Health as the special envoy on health to Borno state and expressed appreciation for President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to rebuilding the North East.
The Governor said that despite the despite the present challenges in the state, his administration has been able to rebuild 50 Primary Healthcare Centers, 9 General hospitals as well as completing the first hospital dedicated to women and children in Borno State. In his own remarks, the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole said that the purpose of the meeting was to proffer solutions to the identified bottlenecks so as to increase the partners’ capacity to achieve their goals. He flagged the frequent incidence of diarrhea as a concern, saying it was preventable and pledged to liaise with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Environment to ensure people have good toilets and access to clean water. The HNERP is currently providing health services in the 25 accessible Local Government Areas in Borno State.