ACHPN Holds National Delegates Conference As Kabir Yahaya Ahmed Rolls Out Achievements As President

The Association of Community Health Practitioners of Nigeria, ACHPN, is holding its National Delegates Conference in the Federal Capital Territory with delegates from the 36 States of the Federation and the FCT in attendance.

Speaking during the opening ceremony in Abuja, the President of the Association, Comrade Kabir Yahaya Ahmed said the last four years have been remarkable due to the sustained peace and unity so far achieved among members of ACPHN nationwide.

He said the conference is to elect new Executives that would handle the affairs of the Association for the next four years.

According to him, the Association under his leadership in the last four years has been able to achieve maximum career development through professionalism among members, review of some professional guidelines in higher institutions, review in scheme of service and development in terms of academics of members.

“Within this period, some degree awarding institutions are running our programmes and community practitioners are taking advantage of the opportunity to acquire their various degrees even to Professorial level adding to the fact that Community Health Practitioners are not only seeing at Primary healthcare level but also State and Tertiary Health Institutions rendering different services among other numerous landmark achievements recorded during my first tenure” He stated

In his words “As you can see there are lots of achievements through our collaborative efforts Community Health Practitioners Institute of Nigeria as well as the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency and the Federal Ministry of Health which are organs of Government coming together to render assurance to Community Health Practitioners in all the areas that we can get our services ”

“However, you cannot rule out challenges in the practice but we have to thank the Government for coming in to assist in some of the areas therefore the issue of the scheme of service is one of the fundamental issue that the Government has addressed because it has been reviewed and we’re waiting for for circular from our establishment so that all Practitioners should be seeing to be giving their rightful places

Comrade Yahaya -Ahmed stressed the need for harmonious working relations among agencies and institutions of government in the health sector towards achieving universal health coverage in Nigeria.

He commended the intervention of the Federal Government so far towards improving primary healthcare system in the country.

The President of Community Health Practitioners therefore called for holistic execution of planned installation of solar power by the Federal Government in primary healthcare centers nationwide.

“The Government is trying and let me in particularly commend the efforts of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Welfare and the Minster for State for all their efforts to ensure that there’s maximum improvement in terms of infrastructure in most of the Primary healthcare Centres in the country because we can see the new facelift bring done in virtually all the Primary healthcare Centres as well as provision of drugs in those healthcare Centres” He explained

While also calling for the recruitment of more community health practitioners in the country, Comrade Yahaya -Ahmed stressed the need for more measures that enable Nigeria achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, SDG in the area of health

“The only thing I want the Government to do is to employ qualify community health practitioners because most of the areas where the primary healthcare facilities are mounted are in low supply of community health practitioners and this is very discouraging hence the need for more employment of community health practitioners so that adequate health services will be provided in all the Primary healthcare Centres and this will enable us to contribute our quota towards national development” Comrade Yahaya Ahmed added

In a goodwill message, the Registrar, Community Health Practice Board, Dr Bashir Idris who highlighted various career progression among community health practitioners in the last four years

He therefore advised members of the Association to continue to uphold the ethics of the profession towards boosting healthcare delivery at the grassroots.

Also in their separate goodwill messages, a former Chairman, Community Health Practice Board, Lawali Bungudu and former National President of Association of Community Health Practitioners of Nigeria, ACHPN, Prince Tadese commended the leadership style of Comrade Kabir Yahaya Ahmed towards repositioning the Association for better.

While wishing the delegates a successful conference, they emphasized the need for them to be committed to the actualization of the objectives of ACPHN.