WHO, UNICEF and community leaders have applauded Governor Peter Mbah’s commitment to healthcare in Enugu State as new figures show an 80% increase in primary healthcare centre visits and immunisation coverage rising to 88.9%, surpassing the national target.
NSUKKA, ENUGU – The World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and community leaders have praised Governor Peter Mbah’s administration for its sustained investment in healthcare, citing significant improvements in primary healthcare delivery across Enugu State.
The commendation came during the combined 2026 Biannual Meeting and Supportive Supervisory Visit led by Governor Mbah to the Type 2 Primary Healthcare Centre in Ihe Ward, Nsukka Local Government Area on Tuesday.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of the Enugu State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (ENSPHDA), Dr. Ifeyinwa Ani-Osheku, disclosed that annual visits to Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) in the state had risen from 800,000 to more than 1.4 million, representing an 80 per cent increase.
She also revealed that Penta-3 immunisation coverage improved from 78.5 per cent to 88.9 per cent, exceeding the national benchmark of 85 per cent.
The South East Zonal Coordinator of WHO Nigeria, Dr. Chukwumuanya Igbonekwu, described Governor Mbah’s regular supervisory visits to healthcare facilities as a major driver of accountability, staff motivation, performance assessment, and continuous improvement in service delivery.
He commended the Enugu State Government for prioritising healthcare investments and creating an enabling environment for the implementation of key public health programmes.
Igbonekwu reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to supporting the state in strengthening resilient health systems capable of addressing both current and emerging public health challenges.
Similarly, the Chief of UNICEF Field Office in Enugu, Juliet Chiluwe, represented by Health Logistics Consultant Dr. Charles Abel, praised the governor’s unwavering commitment to strengthening primary healthcare services across the state.
According to UNICEF, the governor’s routine oversight visits demonstrate a leadership that places the health, survival, and well-being of citizens-particularly women and children-at the centre of governance.
The agency also pledged continued collaboration with the Enugu State Government in advancing healthcare delivery.
Governor Mbah, who held separate engagements with traditional rulers and women leaders in Nsukka Local Government Area, said his administration deliberately constructed 260 Primary Healthcare Centres across the state’s 260 political wards to guarantee equitable access to quality healthcare services.
He expressed satisfaction with the impact of the investments, noting that they had contributed significantly to reducing maternal mortality across the state.
The governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to achieving zero maternal mortality, stressing that no woman should die while giving birth anywhere in Enugu State.
Mbah also urged traditional rulers, women leaders, and other community stakeholders to intensify public awareness on immunisation, antenatal and postnatal care, enrolment in universal healthcare coverage, and community monitoring of healthcare service delivery.
He encouraged them to promptly report any shortcomings observed at Primary Healthcare Centres to the appropriate authorities.
The governor further announced plans to install Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed Tomography (CT) scan, and other radiological services at the State University of Medical and Applied Sciences (SUMAS) Teaching Hospital, enabling residents of Nsukka and surrounding communities to access advanced diagnostic services without travelling to Enugu metropolis.
Highlighting the administration’s achievements, Dr. Ani-Osheku said the transformation of healthcare under Governor Mbah had been unprecedented.
According to her, the government has constructed 260 new Primary Healthcare Centres across all wards in the state, installed 3,380 hospital beds and 520 baby cots, recruited 2,250 health workers, and deployed doctors to head healthcare facilities at the ward level.
She added that the proportion of women delivering safely in health facilities increased from 40.9 per cent to 59.3 per cent within six months.
Ani-Osheku further stated that malaria treatment coverage had nearly tripled, healthcare facilities had been digitised, patient waiting time had reduced by almost 70 per cent, medicine availability had significantly improved, and ultrasound services had been extended to ward-level facilities.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Nsukka Local Government Area, Engr. Jude Asogwa, the Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Enugu State chapter, Dr. Sunday Okafor, and the Enugu State Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu, commended Governor Mbah’s sustained commitment to healthcare development and the strengthening of the state’s primary health system.
During his remarks, Asogwa expressed confidence that the administration’s performance in healthcare and other sectors would earn it widespread electoral support in the 2027 general elections.
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