By Olusola Oke
Akure – Ondo State Government on Thursday in Akure inaugurated a Technical Working Group for the State Strategic Health Development Plan II from 2017 to 2021.
The group, which was meant to carry out strategic working plan for health sector of the state, was inaugurated by Dr Wahab Adegbenro, the Commissioner for Health.
Adegbenro said that Federal Government with the support of development partners had successfully launched the National Strategic Health Plan II Framework from 2017 to 2021.
“This framework was developed to serve as a guide to federal, state and local governments in the selection of evidenced-based priority interventions that will contribute to desired health outcomes for Nigerians,” he said.
He said that the meeting was for him to inaugurate and sensitise technical working group on the use of the national tool which would serve as a guide for the development of the state strategic health plan.
“It is expected that this meeting will recommend interventions necessary to enhance mutual accountability and transparency in the use of health development resources in an efficient and effective way, particularly through results-based management approaches.
“The development of the Ondo State Health Development Plan II will help strengthen the state health sector and will help to reposition organisational and management systems to provide the strategic and policy direction necessary for leadership and governance in health sector,” he said.
Adegbenro enjoined all participants to make use of the opportunity in developing sustainable and realistic plan for the state, while appreciating development partners such as UNICEF with the engagement of its consultants for the state.
Dr Taye Oni, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry said that the development plan would guide the actions and activities of health professionals in the state for the next five years.
Oni expressed the hope that the commissioner’s leadership would enrich the state development plan.
“Permit me to note this meeting is at a time when globally there is a migration from the Millennium Development Goals to the Sustainable Development Goals, both having specific but progressive targets and outcomes for health indices that are importantly to Nigeria.
“It implies that we must be conscious of the journey through the MDGs years and be able to put into perspectives our failures, our successes, the lessons learnt and the missed opportunities.
“And it is only in this doing that we can successfully mainstream the expectations of SDGs into our Strategic Health Development Plan,” he said.
He, therefore, thanked all development partners for seeking for healthy Ondo State and Federal Government for ensuring healthy nation.
Dr Dipo Durojaye, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics said the workshop would be all inclusive involving key stakeholders in health sector.
Durojaye noted that the group’s outcome would be used for proper health plan for the state between 2017 and 2021.
According to him, the past health plan cannot be implemented because of some deficiencies.
Durojaye said it would be used as bedrock of state development in the next five years.
He said that Nigeria could not achieve health MDGs by 2015 and this posed a major development challenge.
He said that it would serve the interest of the poorest and the vulnerable, urging the participants to put in their best as the Federal Ministry of Health would harmonise with states to make it work
The Lead Consultant of the workshop, Dr Olaniyi Bolarinwa, said the workshop was as a result of the collective efforts of all 36 states in the federation coming together on health strategic plan for each state.
Bolarinwa urged the group to take its responsibility seriously because it would make the state develop and would give it easy access to get help from national level and development partners.
He said that the group’s submission would enable the state to monitor its accurate process on health sector because it would be adhered to in the next five years.
The lead consultant highlighted the five different pillars on which the plan would be based and they are Strategic Analysis, Priority Areas, Strategic Goals, Strategic Objectives and Strategic Intervention.
He said that the partners would not see the state serious if there was no synergy.