By Basillia Obinna
The Abia State Government has unveiled plans to accelerate technology-driven healthcare delivery with the rollout of a Digital Immunisation Registry for newborns, as enrolment into the state’s health insurance scheme surged from about 40,000 to over 230,000 beneficiaries under the Governor Alex Otti administration.
The state also disclosed that it has committed 15 per cent of its annual budget to healthcare, renovated about 280 primary healthcare centres and general hospitals, and executed more than 300 health projects as part of ongoing reforms aimed at achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Speaking at the 2026 Joint Annual Review (JAR) Workshop organised by the Ministry of Health in Umuahia, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, said the reforms were repositioning Abia as one of Nigeria’s leading states in primary healthcare delivery.
The workshop, themed “Abia Health Sector Transformation: Initiatives and Innovations for Improved Healthcare Service Delivery and Sustainable Development,” brought together government officials, development partners and health stakeholders to review progress and set priorities for the next phase of reforms.
Highlighting the state’s digital health agenda, Uche announced that Abia is leading a multi-state initiative to domesticate a Digital Immunisation Registry, which will assign every newborn a unique digital vaccination identity to improve immunisation tracking and coverage.
He added that the government is simultaneously expanding electronic medical records, telemedicine services and broadband connectivity across health facilities to improve access to quality care.
“Our goal is to ensure that no woman dies while giving life and no child is denied the opportunity to survive from preventable causes,” Uche said.
According to him, the state is also working towards establishing a sustainable blood donation and transfusion system to strengthen emergency and maternal healthcare services.
Uche said the administration’s sustained investments had contributed to significant improvements in maternal and child health, with approximately 95 per cent of births now attended by skilled health personnel, while maternal and infant mortality rates have continued to decline.
Representing the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Chidinma Ijebu described the Joint Annual Review as an important accountability platform for assessing health sector performance, identifying implementation gaps and strengthening evidence-based decision-making.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Ifeyinwa Blossom Umu Kalu, said healthcare remains central to sustainable development, noting that strategic investments in primary healthcare, emergency medical services, digital health, workforce development and health financing have laid the foundation for a resilient health system in the state.
She called on stakeholders to deepen collaboration and innovation to accelerate progress towards Universal Health Coverage.
Also speaking, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Mrs Ngozi Nwosu, said the annual review provides an opportunity to evaluate sector performance, identify implementation gaps and develop the 2027 Annual Operational Plan using credible data and evidence.
The Executive Secretary of the Abia State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Kalu Ulu Kalu, said the review was designed to assess the health sector’s performance over the past four years and generate data-driven recommendations ahead of the national health sector assessment.
Presenting the state’s health scorecard, the State Coordinator of SWAp, Dr Onoka Okorie, listed major achievements, including the state’s $500,000 Leadership Challenge Award, renovation of about 277 primary healthcare centres, functionalisation of 160 health facilities, recruitment of 851 health workers, implementation of the CONHESS salary structure and expansion of emergency medical services.
He added that the deployment of electronic medical records, accreditation of health institutions, establishment of intensive care and newborn units, upgrades of secondary and tertiary health facilities and the sharp rise in health insurance enrolment to more than 230,000 beneficiaries reflect the state’s sustained commitment to improving access to quality healthcare.
In separate remarks, the State Team Lead of CARITAS Nigeria, Dr Emeka Amuta, and the Chairperson of the Body of Health Authority Secretaries, Mrs Ngozi Eke, commended the government’s healthcare reforms, particularly the revitalisation of primary healthcare centres, recruitment of health workers and expansion of access to essential health services.
They expressed confidence that the ongoing reforms would further position Abia as one of Nigeria’s leading states in healthcare delivery.
