FG upgrades 4,434 Primary Healthcare Centres for better health access

The federal government has upgraded 4,434 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across Nigeria. This move aims to improve access to quality healthcare services for everyone.

Muyi Aina, the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), shared this news during a media briefing on Thursday in Abuja.

Mr Aina explained that these improvements came after they found many PHCs were in bad shape when the current government started health reforms.

"We started a big reform program to make health facilities ready to serve better," he said.

"We took a hard look at the state of the primary health centres, and it wasn’t very good when we started."

He also noted that the agency has made significant progress in making high-quality PHC facilities available to Nigerians.

"I’m glad to announce that we have now either completed or are almost completing the refurbishment and revitalisation of 4,434 facilities," he added.

Out of these, 3,526 facilities have been renovated, commissioned, and handed over to states and local governments. Work is still ongoing in 908 others.

Mr Aina mentioned that the upgraded facilities are located in all 36 states and nearly every local government area. This ensures that quality healthcare is accessible to everyone.

"We took an equity lens, factoring existing access, alternative providers, distance and availability of options for people," he said.

The agency aims to have one Level-2 PHC in every ward and 8,800 Level-1 facilities across the country.

He highlighted that the number of Level-2 PHCs has risen by 59 percent compared to March 2024. Also, 53 percent of the 27,000 PHC facilities currently being worked on are now functional.

Mr Aina mentioned that all Level-2 facilities will be equipped with reliable electricity, solar power systems, water supply, and sanitation infrastructure.

"Solarisation is a critical part of this revitalisation. You are required to have reliable water and sanitation facilities," he explained.

Additionally, the agency has launched a live, geocoded dashboard on its website. This platform aims to improve transparency, accountability, and public access to information on primary healthcare services.

He said Nigerians can use this platform to find the nearest PHCs and see what services are available at each facility.