As Ebonyi marks two years under Governor Francis Nwifuru’s leadership, a recent media tour across ministries revealed both progress and persistent challenges in the state’s health sector. The Ministry of Health has seen an unprecedented budget increase—from ₦89 million in 2024 to ₦39 billion in 2025—a leap of over 111 percent. This sharp rise signals a serious commitment to reforming a sector that has long required urgent attention.
Approximately 700 new healthcare professionals have been employed to address the ongoing “Japa” phenomenon, where health workers migrate out of the state for better opportunities. Incentives such as SUVs for doctors, motorcycles for rural disease response teams, fuel allowances, and renovated staff quarters have been introduced to improve working conditions. However, concerns remain about whether these efforts address deeper issues like poor working conditions, overwhelming patient-to-doctor ratios, limited career progression, and the risk of violence from frustrated patients. Reports suggest that while doctors receive significant incentives, other frontline workers such as nurses, lab scientists, and community health workers feel overlooked.
Revitalization of all 171 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) and general hospitals across Ebonyi is ongoing. This has contributed to a notable reduction in maternal and infant deaths—from 847 to 400 per 1,000 births. Still, the remaining death toll, many occurring outside health facilities, indicates that more comprehensive interventions are necessary.
The state has doubled the intake of nursing students at the School of Nursing Science in Uburu from 80 to 180 and expanded scholarships at the College of Health and Technology to attract and retain talent. While these efforts increase the workforce size, questions about the quality of training and supervision persist, highlighting the need for competent professionals, not just more workers.
The Ebonyi State Health Insurance Scheme has significantly increased enrollment, covering vulnerable groups including pregnant women, children under five, the underprivileged, and civil servants. Enrollment jumped from 35,000 to 137,000 beneficiaries. Yet, gaps remain at the point of care, as shortages of drugs and essential services continue to affect insured patients’ experiences.
On disease control, proactive steps to contain cholera outbreaks in endemic areas such as Izzi, Ikwo, and Ezza North through vaccination campaigns and public sensitization have shown positive results. Efforts to combat endemic Lassa fever intensified in 2024 with 394 reported cases and 23 deaths, supported by trained rapid response teams and increased public awareness.
Technological advancements include the launch of emergency medical services, ambulance tracking via the 112 system, and installation of a solar-powered cold room for vaccine storage. Despite these strides, sustainability is a concern, with no clear plan yet to ensure long-term maintenance of equipment and facilities.
The media tour revealed that while the Ebonyi health sector has made commendable progress under Governor Nwifuru’s administration, many challenges remain. Bold budget increases and new initiatives must be matched by systemic reforms, equitable support for all healthcare workers, and sustainable maintenance practices.
Ebonyi’s health system has begun moving from stagnation toward improvement, but its future success depends on actions that will ensure lasting change—improving lives and restoring public trust beyond a single term in office.
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