USAID-IHP seeks media support to improve health outcomes in Bauchi
By Ahmed KAIGAMA
The United States Agency for International Development-Integrated Health Programme (USAID-IHP) has urged the media to create awareness of health issues towards achieving the goals of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Bauchi State.
Dr Alhassan Siaka, USAID-IHP’s Director in the state, made the call in Azare at a two-day media engagement organised by the programme in Katagum Local Government Area of state.
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Siaka said that 50,000 households benefited from the free healthcare services out of the estimated 5.3 million classified as poor people in the state.
He said that a collective effort was necessary to increase the enrollees to address the poor health indices in the state.
The director emphasised that journalists must be equipped with the facts about health issues for positive results.
“Out of the 5.3 million people classified to be poor in Bauchi State, only 50,000 are currently benefiting from the state’s free healthcare services funded by the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund.
“The media should develop advocacy messages in their reportage that will bring about change for improved health outcomes in the state,” he said.
Siaka acknowledged the commitment of the state government in its stride to achieve quality healthcare services and strengthen the system.
The USAID-IHP director appreciated journalists working towards the development of journalism that would generate solutions to healthcare issues.
Also speaking, Mr Boniface Kassim, USAID-IHP’s Knowledge Management Specialist, said the training was to deepen the understanding of journalists on issues in the health sector.
He said that the exercise would expose the participants to the bottlenecks in the sector for better health outcomes.
Not fewer than 15 journalists drawn from the print and broadcast media participated in the workshop.
