Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KWSPHCDA) has given an update on the funds utilisation of the World Bank Immunisation Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services (IMPACTS) Project.

This followed the disbursement of funds after the development of investment plans by each benefitting Primary Health Care (PHC) Center across the state, based on needs assessment carried out before commencement of the project.

Each benefitting PHC in the state received a total of N4.6m in the World Bank-assisted project to upgrade their facilities and purchase equipment that will strengthen basic healthcare services at the grassroots.

“We are excited to report that our PHCs have commenced the execution of the IMPACTS project with facility upgrades, purchase of equipment, and other items as spelt out in their various investment plan and needs assessment. Some of the items already purchased include: laboratory equipment in 193 PHCs; 30 ultrasound scan machines; 73 outreach tricycles; 186 outreach motorcycles; 186 desktop computers; and also 72 boreholes have been sunk” according to a press statement by the KWSPHCDA.

“Based on their investment plans approved by the World Bank, these PHCs would also begin some minor renovation to improve the PHCs to further meet basic minimum standards. The funds were sent directly to the accounts of each PHC. What the PHCs do with their funds vary and are based on their needs as captured in their investment plans”

The state had qualified for the World Bank IMPACTS programme on account of its investments in the basic healthcare sector, meeting some minimum criteria as well as payment of a state counterpart funds.

Kwara State, which had also recently won the National award as the state best in primary healthcare in the entire central Nigeria, continues to improve peoples' confidence in the health system. This is evidenced by the total number of deliveries that doubled in 2023 compared to 2020, just as 422,631 women attended antenatal in our hospitals compared to 94,276 in the year 2020 based on the information from the DHIS2 platform.

The World Bank IMPACTS project would continue to be implemented alongside several State interventions as well as other projects like the Basic Health Care Provision Funds (BHCPF) to reduce infant, maternal mortality, and improve PHC services in the State.