The Commissioner of Works and Strategy in Bayelsa State, Chief Mr. Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo has described the partnership between the Development Research and Project Center, (dRPC) and  the National Association of Community Health Practitioners,(NACHPN) under the Partnership in Advocacy for Child and Family Health,(PACFaH@Scale) as a commendable step towards improving the nation’s Health sector.

Chief Ewhrudjakpo, who is a member of the NACHPN National Executive body, made the commendation when he led a delegation of the Association to a courtesy visit in Abuja.

While calling for constructive engagement between professional Associations and the Non-governmental Organizations for effective healthcare delivery in Nigeria, Chief Ewhrudjakpo called for strengthening of advocacy in the areas of Behaviour Change Communication especially by the health workers.

‘We need to advocate for change of behaviours and attitudes of health workers so that a system can be introduced to ensure the health workers is embedded within a particular community where he will provide services, follow up with his patients and become an integral part of that society if we are to succeed in effective healthcare delivery’ He said

He added that for the partnership between NACHPN and dRPC to endure and be sustained, there is the need both sides to work harder to bridge the gaps identified in the current healthcare systems in Nigeria.

‘Such gaps as patients-duty bearers relationship, presence of community health workers in every nooks and crannies of the country, as well as strengthening the roles of Community health workers within the nation’s health care system is imperative if the nation is to attain the Universal Healthcare Coverage, UHC’ He added.

While assuring the dRPC-PAS Project if continued support from the Community Health Practitioners, He called for more concerted efforts especially in the areas of education, capacity building and monitoring and evaluation.

In his remarks during the visit, Senior Technical Adivsor to dRPC- PAS Project, Dr Emmanuel Abanida describes the partnership with NACHPN as critical in the struggle to improve the healthcare system in Nigeria.

Dr Abanida added that the role of Community health practitioners in any society is strategic especially in the areas of closing the existing gaps in human resources for the health sector, adding that engaging NACPN under the PAS Project is a model that is effective in healthcare provision across African countries.

He then charged NACHPN to take advantage of advanced learning options available at the University of Ilorin and other institutions of higher learning to expand the scope of knowledge of their members nationwide.

He commended the contribution of NACHPN in various areas of the development and improvement of policies on health and called on its members to continue to make their association relevant within the scheme of the healthcare delivery systems in Nigeria.

He assured them of PAS Project support in every aspect of their demand for a better national policy on health and promise to partner with them to improve the nation’s health sector.