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9 April 2021

To commemorate the 2021 World Health Day in Imo State, a stakeholders’ forum, tagged 2021 “United Nations World Health Day” held on 8th April 2021 at the Imo State Government House, Owerri.

The Executive Governor, His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodinma, represented by the Deputy Governor, His Excellency, Prof. Placid Njoku delivered the welcome address to stakeholders at the event. Other stakeholders present included the Chief of Staff to the Governor; the Honourable Commissioner of Health, Dr. Bartholomew Okorochukwu; the Executive Secretary, Imo State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ISPHCDA), Rev Sr Dr. Uzoma; special advisers to the Governor on health; directors of the Imo State Ministry of Health and other stakeholders in the Imo state health sector.

Four resource persons delivered presentations around the World Health Day 2021 theme- “Building a fairer, healthier world.”

HSDF’s representative, Dr. Chinonyerem Egekwu, spoke on “Health, Sustainable Development, and Stakeholders Participation.” She discussed health in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework where health is central to SDG 3 (Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages) and is related to all other 16 SDGs. Having classified stakeholders into groups, she reiterated the crucial role(s) that stakeholders particularly policymakers play in improving health and ensuring sustainable development for their communities.

Dr. Egekwu concluded by discussing characteristics of sustainable health policies and interventions and enjoined policymakers at this event to consider some of these elements as they provide effective leadership for health in Imo. Some of these characteristics include effective partnerships, funding stability, political support, and impact measurement.

World Health Day

Deputy Governor Imo State, Prof. Placid Njoku (middle), Imo State Honorable Commissioner for health, Dr. BC Okorochkwu, and other stakeholders in Imo State commemorating the World Health Day 2021