Rapid Results Initiative debuts in Nigeria

The Rapid Result Initiative programme designed to quickly and visibly impact on the health of most Nigerians particularly the most vulnerable and poor, has been introduced by the Federal government.

At the launch to kick start the operationalization of the programme tagged “Better Health for all”, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said the programme is expected to achieve results within 100 days.

He said the Rapid Result Initiative would be deployed in seven major areas that would conform with local and international health priorities.

Under the programme, 110 Primary Health Centres would be revamped within 100 days, one in each Senatorial district including a facility in Fuka Local Government in Niger State.

“During my unscheduled visit to Fuka, I noticed there was no functional PHC to offer basic health care and I promised that Federal Government will provide a functional facility, today as we speak the Fuka PHC is ready for commissioning”.

Adewole also said the Ministry would inaugurate Mutual Health Associations at community level to improve access to affordable and qualitative health care.

“Mutual Health Associations are either privately or publicly incorporated body registered by the National Health Insurance Scheme solely to access health care service through health care facilities accredited by the scheme”, he explained.

The Initiative would help treat 200,000 Severely Acute Malnourished children in the North East of the country, while 10,000 surgeries, including hernia, cleft lip, and palate repairs, myomectomy, hysterectomy, Vesico-vaginal Fistula (VVF) amongst others in 46 Federal tertiary institutions.

Other aspects of the initiative include operationalizing the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, which entails having at least one laboratory in each geopolitical region including the Federal Capital Territory.

The designated hospitals as laboratories were University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano; University Of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Borno State, University of Enugu Teaching Hospital, Enugu State; Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Jos University Teaching Hospital and Asokoro/ Gwagwalada Specialist Hospital FCT.

Through partnership with Novo Nordisk, the Ministry plans to screen about 500,000 Nigerians for diabetes free of charge while and they would be appropriately referred to facilities that would cater for their needs if that warranted.

On transparency and accountability, Adewole said the Media and Publicity component of the Initiative would be on ground to engender trust and accountability through media campaigns and close monitoring of the programme to ensure that quality services were provided to the people as promised.