By Murtala Muhammad
Members of the Bauchi Climate Health State Adaptation Plan (HSAP), Technical Working Group (TWG) have concluded the three-day validation engagement of the HSAP document for final approval and subsequent implementation.
The HSAP document validation process include Adaptation Framework, priority interventions and operational activities, review of intervention costing, budget assumptions, financing sources, and alignment with HOPE-PHC among others.
The TWG membership comprises representatives from relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to include Agriculture, Water Resources, Housing and Environment, Academia, Women Affairs and Child Development, State Primary Healthcare Board and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
Other stakeholders are the State Bureau of Statistics, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Nigerian Metrological Agency (NiMet), Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) among others.
The engagement was organised by the Federal and Bauchi State Ministries of Health and Social Welfare with support from Lafiya, a UK-funded health system strengthening programme, held in Bauchi metropolis.
Speaking to Radio Nigeria, the Deputy Director, Public Health in the State Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Mohammed Ɗan’Ya’u commended all the TWG members for their dedication and commitment towards actualising the validation processes.
He described their willingness to contribute throughout the three-day engagement as a clear indication that service towards achieving a climate resilient health system was non-negotiable.
Mohammed Ɗan’Ya’u also appreciated the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the UK Lafiya programme for their unquantifiable support to the state, assuring commitment to ensure smooth implementation.
He reassured TWG members from the MDAs of Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s maximum support to enable the committee deliver on its mandate.
The Lead facilitator and state consultant for UK Lafiya Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), Dr Umar Mohammed Rabi’u said the Bauchi HSAP document was developed using local and other reliable data from the national that would allow for building a climate resilient health system for the state to work on.
Dr Umar Rabi’u explained that having that in place, would give the state a clear direction to face any climate related challenge or shock and smartly respond within a short period.
He acknowledged that the participants have put a lot of energy by scrutinising every bit of the HSAP document throughout the validation process, describing their inputs as painstakingly fantastic exercise.
In her closing remarks, the representative of the federal ministry of health and social welfare, Mrs Mairo Ezekiel assured continued guidance and technical support for the state to get it right during implementation process.
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