By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna

A two day workshop on Capacity building and implementation of the Gates Anchor IV 2024 work plan commenced Tuesday to Wednesday in Zaria, Kaduna state.

Gate’s Anchor IV Project is a health and nutrition advocacy grant funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to strengthen the health system in Kaduna state and the nation at large.

According to the invitation and concept note circulated to exco members by Kaduna Material Accountability Mechanism (KADMAM) Chairman, Isah Gidado, the project was designed to improved accountability mechanisms and policy environment for health systems through advocacy.

To achieve this purpose, the project focuses on 3 pillars of health systems namely, healthcare financing, leadership and governance and community participation.

“The thrust is that these pillars will turn around the policy environment, increase political will, and improve the demand side.

“The project is built to deliver results for women, adolescents, and children especially those living in hard-to-reach communities through sustained engagement with stakeholders including civil society organizations committed to health systems strengthened to ensure that health-financing mechanisms are put in place.

“Engaging community representatives to share their positions on issues related to health and nutrition through an evidence-based advocacy and campaign efforts with policy makers, parliaments, and key government officials.

“The project is also invested in conducting advocacy and policy engagements both at the national and sub-national levels to reduce outbound medical tourism, which bores holes in the local economy and support the implementation of policies and strategies such as Primary Healthcare Under one Roof (PHCUOR), National Health Act (NHAct), Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF), Health Insurance Under One Roof (HIUOR), One functional primary healthcare per ward, National Health Insurance Authority Act (NHIA etc).

The objectives, among other things, to evaluate the achievements of the project and challenges of the current implementation year, share success stories and best practices from both successful and unsuccessful initiatives in a quest to identify strategies to replicate successful approaches.

Others are to review engagement with government agencies and discuss collaboration opportunities and to develop a roadmap and implementation plan for the project’s last phase.