Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has questioned the accuracy of recent data released by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on the state’s health system, stressing that flawed data could undermine effective healthcare interventions.
The governor made this known on Friday while receiving a UNICEF Nigeria advocacy delegation led by the Chief of Field Services, Ms. Judith Leveillee, at the Government House in Abakaliki.
Governor Nwifuru urged UNICEF and other development partners to adopt more reliable and comprehensive data collection methods, noting that sound policy decisions can only be made when health data are accurately gathered and properly analysed.
According to him, deploying trained personnel across primary healthcare centres in Ebonyi State would help generate dependable data, particularly in areas affecting maternal and child health outcomes.
The governor also expressed support for UNICEF’s advocacy against open defecation, poor immunisation coverage, malnutrition, inadequate breastfeeding practices, and recurrent cholera outbreaks in the state.
He described irregular and weak immunisation programmes as a serious public health concern, calling for immediate and coordinated action to prevent diseases such as poliomyelitis.
“I want all local government chairmen to take immunisation seriously,” Nwifuru directed.
He further pledged the state government’s commitment to improving sanitation infrastructure, promising the construction of public toilets in markets, schools, and other communal spaces as part of efforts to curb open defecation.
In her remarks, Ms. Leveillee disclosed that UNICEF is proposing the construction of 2.5 million latrines nationwide to help eliminate open defecation and reduce cholera-related deaths.
She called for accelerated action by the Ebonyi State Government to prevent future cholera outbreaks, noting that the disease has claimed over 20,000 lives globally, despite being preventable.
Ms. Leveillee reaffirmed UNICEF’s long-standing commitment to supporting malnourished and vulnerable children, adding that the organisation has invested over one million dollars in health and social interventions across various agencies in the last three years.
She also revealed ongoing partnerships with ALGON and the National Identity Management Commission, aimed at improving child identity registration and access to essential services.
Commending Governor Nwifuru, the UNICEF official praised his health sector reforms and the timely release of counterpart funding, describing them as critical to strengthening healthcare delivery in Ebonyi State.
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