Charles Ekanem|8 October 2016
Senior Manager and Health Advisor for bilateral/multilateral agencies and NGOs in Africa (Uganda, Kenya, N. Sudan, S. Sudan, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Zambia), Southeast Asia (Indonesia), the Balkans (Bosnia and Kosovo) and Cuba, Janice Katherine Kopinak last week was handed over to the agency by CUSO's Health Project Manager, Mr Uko Ekott during a courtesy call paid by CUSO to the DG CRSPHCDA. Her mission is to aid the development, review and implementation of robust primary healthcare plan in line with VOICE AQHS Project in the state.
According to her, she is in CRS to assess and evaluate projects in primary health care; make recommendations pertaining to strategic plans of action, proposals, project implementation, transition in collaboration with national Governments, health authorities, communities and other stakeholders.
Mr Uko Ekott, CUSO Health Project manager, said the are impressed with the speed at which the agency was driving the health sector and will stop at nothing to support it. Areas of focus will be on Report writing, Management of human resources and budgeting with focus on cost effective equity/accessibility within comprehensive program of health promotion/disease prevention treatment and cure (decrease morbidity, mortality). She will also be obtaining data on sustainable capacity building, Integration of cross cutting issues (maternal/child, reproductive, gender, HIV/AIDS/TB, equity, human rights/governance, environment). Concentration on implementing UN sustainable development goals in all areas of practice.
Reacting, Dr Betta Edu thanked CUSO for approving their request for a health specialist at a time the state was experiencing robust change in primary healthcare delivery via the agency, the new healthcare insurance scheme and one functional PHC per ward policies of His Excellency, Sen (Prof) Ben Ayade. She urged Janice and CUSO to Employ result based management techniques and created logistical models to measure performance and Focus on integration of health services as well as alignment of interventions with objectives of other stakeholders, projects and programmes for effective delivery of health care services
Janice will also Carry out research projects from design through planning to completion analysis, report writting, Specialist triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data for effective policy formulation and planning. The new health specialist will be in the agency for one year and is expected to build capacity of staff of agency during her stay.
Present at the meeting were Dr Iwara Iwara, Director of Community Health, M & E Officer, Mr Edward Aleje, PRS, Mr Ekereke, Mrs Sally Enyim and a host of others.
Charles Ekanem
Writes from Calabar
