The Rotary International through the Rotary Healthy Communities Challenge with the PATH Group and Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Health have become partners in the quest to reduce to the barest minimum, the unacceptable rate of infant mortality in the State.
This was made known at a Stakeholders Consensus Meeting and Baseline Assessment held in Uyo on Wednesday May, 28 2025 as part of Rotary Healthy Communities Challenge (RHCC) project.
The RHCC project aimed at reducing to a negligible difference, the preventable and avoidable death of children ages 0 – 5 years due to the three deadly killer diseases – Malaria, Pneumonia and Diarrhea.
In his remarks at the Stakeholders meeting, Mr. Chinedu Egwouno the Team Lead of PATH Group, hinted that RHCC project’s focus of expanding access to healthcare is in tandem with Community Health Influencers, Promoters and Services (CHIPS) initiative under the National Primary HealthCare Development Agency (NPHCDA).
“We are not initiating anything new; rather we are assisting Akwa Ibom State in enhancing access to Primary HealthCare, particularly for underserved children in rural areas”.
“The initiative, which is operating in six Local Government Areas of the State, trains health workers nominated by the communities to diagnose and treat childhood diseases, thereby minimizing the necessity for lengthy hospital trip”.
“If a child exhibits warning signs, these trained workers within the communities help diagnose and treat the child and also facilitate referrals to primary or secondary healthcare facilities, as the case may be.” – Chinedu added.
Also speaking, Rtn. Adeyemi Oladokun, a Past District Governor and representative of the Country Lead for RHCC, applauded the Akwa Ibom State Government’s remarkable focus on child healthcare and for its strategic partnerships and collaborations to widen healthcare services.
“Rotary is dedicated to its advocacy, supervisory and strategic planning roles to ensure the success of this project. Our goal is to reduce the number of children under five years who died from preventable diseases” – Rtn. Oladegun added.
Rtn. Akan Emah, the Immediate Past District Governor and strategic stakeholder in the project, while fielding questions from the media on the sideline of the meeting, added that the RHCC project has only two benefiting States in Nigeria, Akwa Ibom and Kebbi, and has an initial lifespan of three years.
In his opening remarks, the Chairman of Akwa Ibom State Primary HealthCare Development Agency, Dr. Martin Akpan, thanked the Rotary International and PATH Group for the partnership and assured them of maximal cooperation. He also acknowledged Gov. Umo Eno’s commitment to healthcare services delivery enhancement as seen in the inauguration of state-of-the-art Health Care Centers across the Local Government Areas as well as establishment of Oxygen Plant in the State amongst other interventions through the ARISE Agenda of his administration.
The meeting drew participation from other critical Stakeholders in the health sector as follows: Representative of NPHCDA Chairman – Mr. Abubakar; Zonal Director of NPHCDA – Dr. Ukpong; Executive Secretary, Akwa Ibom State Primary HealthCare Development Agency – Dr. Eno Attah; Akwa Ibom State Coordinator of National Malaria Elimination Program – Dr. Ime Ukpong .; Focal Person for the RHCC project in AkS- Dr. Idongesit Eyo; Akwa Ibom State Coordinator of PATH Group – Dare Eguavon; Country Community Case Management Specialist, PATH – Mr. Obi. and many others
The RHCC is a US$30 million program benefiting the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mozambique, Nigeria, and Zambia. It is a Bill Gate’s Foundation initiative which is spearheaded by Rotary International, with PATH Group as implementing partners.
