The Kaduna State Ministry of Health has launched a two-day Joint Annual Review (JAR) to evaluate the implementation of its 2026 health programmes and chart the course for improved healthcare delivery in 2027.
The review, which began on Tuesday in Kaduna, brought together representatives from the Federal and Kaduna State Ministries of Health, development partners, academia, civil society organisations, traditional institutions, healthcare professionals, community leaders, and the media.
Declaring the review open, the Commissioner for Health, Hajiya Umma Kaltume-Ahmed, described the exercise as a critical platform for assessing the state’s progress under the Nigerian Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp).
Represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Aisha Abubakar-Saqid, the commissioner said the review would help stakeholders assess achievements, identify gaps, and develop practical strategies to strengthen healthcare service delivery. She added that the outcome would also inform Kaduna State’s 2027 health sector planning and budget.
According to her, the annual review promotes transparency, accountability, and evidence-based decision-making by enabling stakeholders to collectively evaluate performance and agree on priority actions for the coming year.
Kaltume-Ahmed highlighted several achievements recorded over the past year, including the upgrade of multiple primary healthcare centres, the renovation and equipping of secondary health facilities, and the expansion of health insurance coverage for vulnerable residents.
She also noted the recruitment of more than 1,000 primary healthcare workers under a multi-year workforce development plan and the commissioning of a 300-bed international-standard hospital.
Other milestones include improvements in pharmaceutical storage facilities, the renovation of nursing and midwifery colleges, the establishment of a second standardised neonatal care centre at General Hospital Sabo, and successful mass chemoprophylaxis campaigns targeting school-aged children.
The commissioner said these interventions have contributed to improved health outcomes across the state, including reductions in maternal and neonatal mortality, as well as declining rates of child malnutrition and wasting.
Despite the progress, she acknowledged that challenges remain and called on participants to engage in frank discussions on the bottlenecks affecting the health sector.
“Our national goal is to save lives, reduce both physical and financial hardship, and ensure better health outcomes for all Nigerians. We must collectively address the obstacles before us and chart a sustainable path forward,” she said.
Earlier, UNICEF Health Specialist, Dr. Idris Baba, said the Joint Annual Review provides an opportunity for government and development partners to assess the implementation of the 2026 health work plan, document best practices, identify implementation gaps, and generate evidence to guide activities for the remainder of the year and the 2027 health budget.
He added that the review reflects the collaborative spirit of the SWAp initiative by strengthening coordination and accountability among government institutions, development partners, academia, and civil society organisations.
Also speaking, Dr. Olushola Ayola of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare commended Kaduna State for aligning its health programmes with the National Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative.
He praised the state’s investments in healthcare infrastructure, workforce development, health insurance expansion, and the revitalisation of primary healthcare services.
Ayola assured participants that the Federal Ministry’s delegation would provide technical support throughout the review to help identify remaining gaps and strengthen health security, infrastructure, workforce capacity, and service delivery.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the two-day review is expected to produce recommendations that will shape Kaduna State’s health priorities for the remainder of 2026 and guide the preparation of the 2027 health sector operational plan and budget.
Source:NAN
