The Chairman of the Taraba State chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Dr. Aminu Hassan Jauro, has underscored the crucial role of community engagement in expanding access to healthcare services across rural communities in the state.
Dr. Jauro, who also serves as Chairman of Jalingo local government council, made the call on Thursday through the Director of Health for the council, Shuabu Adamu, during a one-day onboarding and orientation workshop for members of the Traditional Leaders Council Committee on Health drawn from all the 168 political wards in the state.
The workshop, organised by the Chigari Foundation in partnership with the Taraba State Primary Health Care Development Agency (TSPHCDA), according to the Foundation, aims to strengthen community participation in primary healthcare delivery, particularly in hard-to-reach rural communities.
Dr. Jauro stressed that empowering traditional leaders and community-based health workers would help ensure that health challenges in rural areas are addressed swiftly and effectively.
“We must work together to promote health services so that our community and children will remain healthy,” he said, commending the Minister of Health for “bringing health services to the doorsteps of the people.”
He urged participants to intensify their efforts in supporting the health system at the grassroots, noting that “sickness has no boundary.”
Also speaking, the Program Officer of Chigari Foundation, Mallam Mohammed Saleh, explained that under the new strategy, each ward will have Emirate Council Committee on Health (ECO) members who will collaborate closely with ward focal persons.
Their responsibilities, as reeled out by him, will include coordinating with ward heads, collecting immunisation data, reporting and resolving non-compliance cases, and submitting line lists of unresolved issues.
“These data will then be reconciled during daily evening review meetings, with support from data clerks to ensure accurate health reporting and follow-up,” Saleh said.
According to officials, the initiative is expected to boost immunisation coverage, strengthen disease surveillance, and enhance overall community health outcomes in Jalingo LGA and beyond.
Ward heads who spoke with The Guardian believed that involving traditional leaders at the ward level is a critical step in bridging the gap between the formal health system and rural communities, ensuring that essential services reach those who need them most.
