SPEECH OF HIS EXCELLENCY, THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF KADUNA STATE ARC MOHAMMED NAMADI SAMBO (fnia) AT THE OPENING SESSION OF THE FIRST NORTHERN STATES HEALTH SUMMIT HELD AT AREWA HOUSE, KADUNA ON MONDAY, 12^TH NOVEMBER, 2007

• Your Excellency Hon. Minister,

• Your Royal Highness Etsu Nupe and Your Royal Highnesses,

• Members of the State House of Assembly,

• Honnourable Commissioners,

• Secretaries to the Governments,

• Special Advisers,

• Members of the International Development Partners UNICEF, etc.

• other Health NGOs and experts here present.

• Distinguished Members of the Media,

• Distinguished ladies and gentlemen.

Let me start by warmly welcoming you to the first Northern Health Summit holding in Kaduna. It is gratifying to see the galaxy of many distinguished personalities repressing the North in its great diversity here present. This amply indicates unity of purpose by the Northern Governors in initiating action to solve problems facing the Region.

Participants to this Summit will deliberate on the poor health indices in our country especially the Northern States in order to find solutions to the challenging issues of our healthcare services. The Summit must therefore examine the problems affecting the successful operations of our health institutions in all ramifications.

The Kaduna State Government is fully determined to ensure accessibility to adequate and qualitative services to our people. We shall therefore strive to remove all obstacles on our way in order to achieve the target of health for all of our citizens. In doing this, the cooperation, understanding and support of all and sundry will be imperative.

One of the Eleven-Point Agenda of our administration is “Improved Healthcare Delivery” in the State.

As part of our efforts to reduce the poor health indices and accelerate the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as related to Health is the launching of Free Medical Services for Pregnant Women and Children Under Five Years old.

The Free Medical Service to Pregnant Women is to cover Ante-Natal services, delivery and care for six weeks after delivery.

Care for Children Under Five covers common ailments, principally malaria, diarrhea, acute respiratory tract infections, measles and meningitis, etc.

For quality assurance and to win public confidence in public services, the existing primary healthcare facilities are being addressed fully including among various activities, the provision of equipment and personnel.

The 26 secondary healthcare facilities (Hospitals) in the State are adequately equipped to offer effective services. The improvement in infrastructure, equipment and personnel required to sustain the services is being executed for one health facility in each of the 255 political wards in the State to be completed by the end of 2007 and shall be increased to two facilities by the end of 2008 and we shall continue with the planned phase development and by 2009 all the 700 Health Centres will be fully operational.

The established cost of implementing the programme covering services and hardware is estimated at 4.8 billion Naira for 2007, 8.5 billion Naira for 2008 and 8.9 billion for 2009 respectively. The financial implication is being shared between the State Government, the Local Government Councils.

For successful implementation of the health programme, the State Ministry of Health, Ministry  for Local Government and Local Government Service Board have been holding consultative meetings on the scheme. We have to get the commitment of the Local Governments for them to provide the minimum healthcare package for the reduction of maternal and child mortality in the State and ensure effective monitoring and supervision of programmes. Government will continue to partner with Development Agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations, private sector and other stakeholders in addressing health issues in the State.

For us to continue to produce adequate and skilled middle-level human resources, the State has strengthened the two Health Institutions and reintroduced Basic Midwifery Training at our College of Nursing Kafanchan.

As you settle down to your deliberations, I hope that you will leave no area untouched in your articulation of issues relating to the theme of this Summit. We shall therefore look forward to receiving the outcome of this conference so that all the Northern Governors will use it according to our peculiarities as input in our health policy formulations.

Finally, my colleagues, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, you are once more warmly welcome to Kaduna State. I wish you fruitful Summit.

Thank you and God Bless.

Governor Arch Mohammed Namadi Sambo is a true democrat, whose approach to problems is always humane and conciliatory he is a man of peace who patiently looked to the future with courage and hope. His commitment in the direction of transforming the state into a relatively better integrated and functional polity is continuing  with a mission  to create a stable  and cohesive polity capable of securing effectively the interests of the various communities and giving them the opportunity to develop and live in peace  with one another.