PRIMARY HEALTH CARE IN KANO STATE: ACHIEVEMENTS AND PROBLEMS

Abstract

An international conference was convened in 1978 in Alma Ata in the former Soviet Union to discuss health and how to achieve it within the shortest possible time, Health as defined by the WHO is "a state of complete physical, mental and psychological well-being". This was possible to attain and at Alma Ata the year 2000 was set as a target date. A theme was agreed upon: "Health for All by the Year 2000." To achieve this laudable objective a means had to be found. Providing basic health needs to the world population was found to be the most practical way of achieving the goal. Primary Health care was conceived as the vehicle to achieve "Health for All by the Year 2000." The contributions of Prof. Olikoye Ransome-Kuti at the conference had an influence on the outcome of the Alma Ata meeting and this probably explains why the Nigerian National Health Policy made Primary Health care a centre-piece. Health care delivery is a concurrent issue in the Nigerian Constitution. Primary Health care is to be the responsibility of the local governments with inputs from the state and federal governments. With financial and technical input by foreign donor organisations namely the UNICEF, WHO, Fathfinder and such other organisations, the federal government embarked on the programme and the local governments were the recipients and ultimately the implementers. The Primary Health care programmes were developed gradually e.g EPI, ORT, CCD, family Health, and HIEC to mention but a few. Kano State through years of experience in implementating the programmes was able to develop some local programmes e.g ILAMI. This essay is intended to define Primary Health care as a concept and means of achieving "Health for All by the Year 2000" and to take a look at what has been achieved in Kano. It also intends to take a cursory look at the problems the state faced or is still facing in implementing the programme with a view to putting forward suggestions/recommendations for solving the problems. The materials for this write up are intended to come from the authors experience as a Zonal Director, Executive Secretary, Health Services Management Board, Director General, Kano State Ministry of Health and Head of Department of surgery of the premier hospital of the state with an average out-patients turn over of 3,500 per day. I intend to draw from the huge experience of the staff of the Kano State Ministry of Health. particularly the most able Director, PHC department and the field staff who directly translate the intentions of the PHC policy into practice. The Federal Ministry of Health and foreign donor agencies have very useful data and I intend to search their archives and libraries in an effort to bring to light the achievements and problems as experienced by Kano State. It is hoped that the suggestion to be put forward will help the policy makers and implementers of PHC to overcome the identified problems. It is intended to be yet another contribution towards attaining the so much cherished "Health for All by the year 2000".