The Federal Ministry of Health and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), in collaboration with the Resident Training Institutions, Monday launched Community –based Health Research Innovative Training and Services Programme (CRISP).
CRISP is a partnership between the Nigerian Community based Medical Education programme, SPHCBs, local governments and the communities to support Primary Heath Care in Nigeria.
Launching the programme at the Congress Hall, Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, represented by Minister of Women Affairs, Paulen Tallen, said the federal government is committed to the success of CRISP.
He remarked that while Nigeria constitutes 2% of the world population, it suffers 14% mortality rate and the high rate of mortality could be avoided if there are skilled health workers in the rural areas.
He added that no matter how developed any nation might be and no matter how sophisticated its equipment, it would amount to nothing without skilled workers.
The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, remarked that health workers prefer to go to urban areas because working in the rural areas can be unattractive. Describing it as internal brain drain, he said CRISP will make working in the rural areas attractive with provision of modern amenities including electricity, water and housing estates.
The Executive Director/ Chief Executive Officer of the NPHCDA, Dr Faisal Shuaib, said life expectancy in Nigeria is 54 and there was need to work out a blueprint to transform health delivery in the country.
He added that skilled workers would be encouraged to stay in the rural communities and health workers to be trained would come from the locality.
Studies have shown that interventions provided by skill workers can reduce maternal and new born mortality and that shortage in human resources , especially skilled birth attendants remains an obstacle to health care delivery and it continues to pose great risk to pregnant women.
Consequently, the NPHCDA in collaboration with other agencies are working to improve quality service delivery by increasing the number of quality health care workers in Primary Health Care facilities across the country.
