Africa region for WHO advised FG to mobilise World Bank, AfDB to Borno

The World Health Organisation, Director, Regional Office for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, has advised the Federal Ministry of Health to mobilise the World Bank, African Development Bank and development agencies to the North-East to facilitate the rebuilding of region.

Moeti said this during a press conference in Abuja on Saturday.

She said the rescue operation in the region needed to be backed by infrastructural development.

The WHO director said, “We are going to be transitioning from an emergency phase to a rebuilding and development phase in the North-East. There has been a huge response to the outbreaks there. So, what we need to do is to bring together the partners, the donors, the development agencies.

“We must bring together the World Bank, African development Bank who are more concerned with the development rather than humanitarian response and ensure that they are engaged to understand the investment of the government and the development partners and prepare to transition to rebuilding the health system in the North-East.”

Moeti said the WHO would be helping the region to combat malaria which is the biggest disease.

She said the health organisation would assist the government by providing drugs, nets, insecticides and also promote various health initiatives.

The WHO director added, “As part of the humanitarian emergency, we in the WHO are pleased to have supported the government in providing basic healthcare services to the people of the North-East in Nigeria.

“I understand that we are targeting about 4.9 million people in need of basic health services and we have been able to mobilise 113 mobile teams who work hand in hand with the government to provide health services to the population there.

“We are aware that Malaria is the number one killer of children here and under the context of the lack of access, we observed that the number of deaths from malaria grows alarmingly and I am very pleased that the government accepted and worked with our colleagues to put in place interventions.”

She said the WHO would continue such anti-malaria programmes across Nigeria.

In his response, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, praised the WHO for its assistance.

Adewole clarified that the WHO’s programmes were being carried out simultaneously across the country.

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