The Plateau State Government has identified persistent challenges in maternal and child health, inadequate healthcare financing, workforce shortages and access to quality medical services as key issues requiring urgent attention to strengthen healthcare delivery across the state.
The concerns were highlighted at the 12th Plateau State Council on Health, which commenced on October 20, 2026, at Crispan Hotel, Jos, with stakeholders calling for practical measures to translate government health policies into improved services for residents.
The four-day council, scheduled for October 19 to 22, is themed “From Policy to People: Consolidating Quality Universal Health Coverage and Health Security on the Plateau.” It brought together government officials, healthcare professionals, development partners and other stakeholders to assess progress and identify gaps in the state’s healthcare system.
Declaring the council open on behalf of Governor Caleb Mutfwang, Deputy Governor Ngo Josephine Piyo acknowledged progress in immunisation, disease surveillance, primary healthcare and partnerships with national and international organisations.
However, she noted that maternal and child health indicators still require urgent improvement, while many primary healthcare facilities need further revitalisation, adequate staffing and equipment.
Piyo also identified the rising burden of non-communicable diseases, security challenges affecting healthcare delivery in some communities and persistent funding gaps as major obstacles to achieving universal health coverage.
She said the state government remained committed to ensuring that access to healthcare was treated as a fundamental right rather than a privilege.
According to her, the government would continue investing in primary healthcare facilities across the 17 local government areas, expand health insurance coverage for poor and vulnerable residents, recruit and train healthcare workers, and upgrade secondary and tertiary hospitals.
She added that the ongoing upgrading of Plateau State Specialist Hospital towards its proposed role as a teaching hospital for the College of Health Sciences of Plateau State University would require improvements in infrastructure, equipment and staffing.
The deputy governor stressed that the council must produce measurable resolutions capable of influencing budget priorities, strengthening health sector reforms and improving service delivery.
Delivering the keynote lecture, the Chief Medical Director of Jos University Teaching Hospital, Dr Pokop Bupwatda, said the effectiveness of health policies should be measured by their impact on the people rather than their existence on paper.
He explained that universal health coverage requires everyone to have access to essential preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative healthcare services without suffering financial hardship.
Bupwatda expressed concern over situations in which families are forced to sell land or other property to pay for medical treatment, describing such experiences as contrary to the objectives of universal health coverage.
He identified primary healthcare as the foundation for achieving universal health coverage, stressing that facilities must be accessible, adequately staffed, properly equipped and responsive to the needs of their communities.
The JUTH chief medical director also emphasised the importance of community participation, political commitment, sustainable financing and collaboration across sectors in building a resilient healthcare system.
He cited the recruitment of more than 1,100 healthcare workers by the Plateau State Primary Healthcare Development Agency as a significant step towards addressing staffing gaps, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach communities.
Bupwatda further highlighted the importance of emergency preparedness and effective disease surveillance, noting that public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the need for health systems capable of responding to unexpected crises.
He urged stakeholders to assess the implementation and impact of resolutions adopted at previous councils, insisting that policies must produce tangible improvements in the healthcare experiences of residents.
In his remarks, the Plateau State Commissioner for Health, Dr Nicholas Baamlong, outlined achievements recorded since the 11th State Council on Health while acknowledging the need to sustain reforms and address remaining challenges.
Baamlong said at least 105 primary healthcare centres had been upgraded, equipped and staffed to improve access to essential medical services, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
He also disclosed that the state ranked fifth nationally in an assessment by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare after meeting four of five indicators relating to skilled birth attendance, immunisation, antenatal care, primary healthcare utilisation and functional Level 2 facilities.
According to the commissioner, the government has also approved the conversion of primary healthcare centres in Tunkus and Wasi into cottage hospitals. He said the facility in Tunkus had been commissioned and was fully operational, while work was ongoing to commission the Wasi facility.
On human resources, Baamlong said the government had approved the recruitment of approximately 1,300 healthcare workers, including about 1,150 for primary healthcare facilities and 150 for the Hospitals Management Board.
He added that training and continuous professional development programmes had commenced to improve the capacity of newly recruited personnel and strengthen service delivery.
The commissioner further reported an expansion in enrolment under the Plateau State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency, known as PLASCHEMA, from fewer than 100,000 enrollees in May 2023 to a significantly higher figure as of September 2026. He also said the agency had established offices in all 17 local government areas.
The expansion is intended to improve financial protection and reduce the burden of out-of-pocket medical expenses, particularly among vulnerable populations.
Baamlong also highlighted improvements in disease surveillance, digital health records and emergency response systems.
He disclosed that the state had recently responded to outbreaks of Lassa fever, cholera and diphtheria. According to him, the diphtheria outbreak had been substantially contained, with nine patients still on admission at the time of his remarks and no deaths recorded in the preceding two weeks.
The commissioner attributed the response to coordination between state and local government structures, alongside other partners.
He also announced a planned medical and surgical outreach in partnership with German organisation ICZ, targeting between 6,000 and 10,000 beneficiaries across the state.
Despite the reported progress, he said the council must focus on strengthening primary healthcare governance and financing, expanding insurance coverage, improving emergency preparedness, addressing workforce needs and leveraging technology to improve service delivery.
WHO calls for equitable access and sustainable financing
The World Health Organization (WHO) also urged the state to sustain investments in primary healthcare, workforce development, digital innovation and community engagement.
Representing the organisation, Dr Olufunmi Lola commended Plateau State for maintaining the council as a platform for reviewing progress, addressing challenges and setting priorities for healthcare development.
She said the theme underscored the shared responsibility of government and its partners to ensure that policies translated into measurable improvements in people’s health and well-being.
Lola identified access to quality maternal and reproductive health services, particularly in underserved communities, as an area requiring continued attention.
She also stressed the importance of sustainable healthcare financing to prevent individuals and families from experiencing financial hardship when seeking medical treatment.
The WHO representative called for evidence-based decision-making, stronger health systems, improved workforce capacity and greater collaboration among government institutions, development partners and communities.
She reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to supporting efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery and accelerate progress towards universal health coverage and health security.
Focus shifts to implementation
The deliberations at the 12th State Council on Health come amid efforts to strengthen healthcare infrastructure, expand insurance coverage and improve disease preparedness across Plateau State.
While government officials and health partners have highlighted improvements in primary healthcare, recruitment, digital reporting and disease surveillance, the council faces the task of ensuring that these interventions translate into reliable services for residents in both urban and rural communities.
The effectiveness of the council’s resolutions will ultimately depend on adequate funding, consistent implementation, accountability and the ability of health facilities to provide affordable, quality care.
For residents in underserved communities, priorities include access to skilled birth attendants, essential medicines, functional health facilities and emergency transportation, alongside protection from the financial burden of illness.
The council is expected to develop recommendations to guide the next phase of healthcare reforms in Plateau State, with stakeholders emphasising the need to move beyond policy commitments towards measurable improvements in health outcomes.
