Federal Health Ministry, NSRII Hold Annual Operational Planning Workshop

The Federal Ministry of Health, in partnership with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NSRII), has organised a four-day Sector-Wide Approach (SWAP) Capacity Development Workshop for health leaders and managers in Anambra State. The workshop focused on leadership, strengthening health systems, and strategic planning. The event, held in Awka from July 15 to 18, brought together Healthcare workers from the 21 Local Government Areas of the state.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike, while speaking at the event, said it was organised to prepare the Health workers on the Ministry’s annual operational plan. “We have people from every programme and every Department; the Primary Healthcare, Insurance, the Health Education Section and the Tertiary and Secondary health activities here to discuss holistically what we are going to be doing for the coming year and to ensure that everything that are going to be done are grouped and aligned so that there will not be segregation of activities. The training is also for efficiency and for producing good results.’’

For the target of the programme on the workers the commissioner said, “well first we are building capacity and people; planning for programme of activities that will occur in the next year and also reviewing what we have done so far this year to make sure the programmes are aligned together so that there will not be any segregation of activities. All in all, we are preparing them to remain on the operational plan so that all the programmes will be aligned, allowing us to achieve good results and reduce unnecessary resource spending. This is because aligning your ideas and programs reduces inefficiency and resource wastage.”

The Desk Officer SWAP, Dr Obianuju Okoye, further explained the rudiments of the training. She said, “The Sector-Wide Approach is a programme of the Federal Ministry of Health. This training is taking place in all states of the Federation, ensuring we have a unified plan, budget, and conversation in the health sector nationwide. Every state has a priority area, and we should all speak the same language of development and move forward together. She commended the training and said that it would bring out the best in the health workers and redefine their ways of operation in the next 12 months.