Anambra Health Commissioner Lauds UNICEF Collaboration With State Government

The Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Afam Obidike has lauded the collaboration of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the State Government.

Dr. Obidike made the commendation at the conclusion of a 5-day Review of 2023 Annual Operational Plan and Development of 2024 Annual Operational Plan (AOP) workshop in Awka, the state capital.

He emphasized that UNICEF has greatly contributed to the health sector especially in cases of children and women.

He stated that the Annual Operational Plan (AOP) is a detailed document that outlines his Ministry’s goals, objectives, strategies, and activities for a specific fiscal year.

The Commissioner noted that the State’s continued partnership with UNICEF has improved the performance of health workers as regards service delivery in health facilities across the state.

“This workshop will greatly help improve the contributions of Programme managers, Coordinators, Monitoring and Evaluation Officers for optimal services to the people.

“It serves as a bridge between an organization’s strategic plan and its day-to-day operations, providing a roadmap for achieving the broader objectives set out in the strategic plan.’’

Speaking further, Dr.Obidike said that the primary purpose of an AOP is to translate the high-level goals and strategies from our ministry’s strategic plan into actionable steps and specific initiatives for the upcoming year.

“So, throughout the year, we monitor progress against the AOP, making adjustments as needed to respond to changing circumstances or emerging opportunities while regular performance reviews are conducted to assess whether we are on track to meet the goals and to identify any deviations that require corrective action.

“The AOP is a comprehensive document that translates our ministry’s strategic vision into concrete actions for a specific year.

“It helps guide us in decision-making, resource allocation, and performance assessment, ensuring that we remained focused on achieving strategic objectives.’’

Dr. Obidike appreciated Governor Charles Soludo for his continued support that is geared toward improving, achieving universal health coverage for all.

“Our action governor recently flagged off free antenatal care, free delivery services across the state and equally approved the recruitment of no fewer than 500 Primary health workers as well as extending Telemedicine in all the healthcare centres in the state.”

On her part, the head of Planning Department, Research and Statistics, Mrs. Edith Nwachukwu said the workshop offered the state the opportunity to review 2023 AOP as well as articulate the activities that will be done in 2024.

“We were able to think out what we can do to achieve the objectives of the mission of the health sector in 2024 and we are eternally grateful to UNICEF for their support.”