Kwara begins validation of costed health promotion plan
…Plan targets stronger health communication, behavioural change across state
The Kwara State Government has commenced the validation of a costed implementation plan for its Health Promotion and Communication Strategic Framework, aimed at improving health communication and promoting healthier behaviours across the state.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Amina Ahmed El-Imam, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Taoheed Abdullahi, said the plan would provide a practical roadmap for translating the state’s health promotion priorities into specific, measurable and costed activities.
She spoke during a stakeholder validation meeting on the document.
El-Imam said improving residents’ health required more than access to healthcare services, stressing the need to equip individuals, families and communities with the information, motivation and support needed to adopt and sustain healthy behaviours.
According to her, the costed implementation plan would help translate the priorities contained in the state’s Health Promotion and Communication Strategic Framework into actions with defined responsibilities, timelines and funding requirements.
She said the plan was not intended to establish a parallel programme or reporting structure but to harmonise existing health promotion and social and behaviour change initiatives across programmes and sectors.
The commissioner said this would help reduce duplication, improve coordination and ensure that resources invested in health promotion and communication contribute to better health outcomes.
She urged stakeholders to scrutinise the document, identify gaps and assess whether the proposed activities, responsibilities, timelines and costs were realistic and achievable.
El-Imam also stressed the need for institutional ownership, domestic resource mobilisation, collaboration, monitoring and accountability to ensure the sustainability of the plan.
She called for the participation of government ministries, departments and agencies, local government authorities, health facilities, communities, traditional and religious institutions, civil society organisations, development partners and the media.
The Director of Finance and Supply, who represented the Permanent Secretary, also urged participants to identify gaps and ensure that the proposed activities and financial requirements were aligned with the state’s priorities.
In his goodwill message, UNICEF representative Dr. Usman Muhammad commended stakeholders and partners involved in developing the document and reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to supporting health promotion initiatives.
He particularly commended the World Health Organisation (WHO), described as the implementing partner, for supporting the process.
Muhammad urged stakeholders to use the validation exercise to address grey areas in the document, saying a realistic and properly costed plan would improve the prospects of successful implementation.
The meeting brought together officials of the Ministry of Health, representatives of other MDAs, development partners, programme managers, technical experts and other stakeholders who reviewed the document and made inputs towards its finalisation.
