NEWS
ABIA ADVANCES PROJECT EKWUEME AS 81 PRIMARY HEALTH CENTRES FUNCTIONAL, OTHERS TO BE COMPLETED IN 2026
The Abia State Government has announced fresh progress in its aggressive health sector reform, revealing that 81 out of the 102 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) undergoing upgrade in the first phase of the Project Ekwueme initiative have already been made fully functional. The remaining 92 PHCs are scheduled to be fully equipped and activated in the new year, signaling the administration’s commitment to grassroots healthcare delivery.
The disclosure came from the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, during a press briefing held on Monday at Government House, Umuahia, after this week’s Executive Council meeting chaired by Governor Alex Otti.
According to Kanu, transforming PHCs across all local government areas remains a critical pillar of Governor Otti’s healthcare vision, aimed at placing quality, affordable, and accessible medical services within reach of every Abian, particularly rural dwellers who depend heavily on primary health facilities.
In a further boost to maternal and child health, the Commissioner also announced that the second phase of the Maternal and Child Birth Programme will officially kick off on Tuesday, December 9th. The initiative is a joint partnership involving the Office of the First Lady, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Women Affairs, with the Abia State Primary Health Care Development Agency designated to anchor the programme across participating hospitals.
Prince Kanu emphasized that the state government is expanding its medical interventions beyond hospital upgrades. He revealed that the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) has commenced the establishment of a vector surveillance laboratory at Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Aba. The facility will monitor, track, and analyze the prevalence and spread of malaria across the state, supporting data-driven health planning and positioning Abia as a research hub for disease control.
With these developments, the Otti administration continues to stamp its footprint as one that prioritizes sustainable public health systems, modern medical infrastructure, and evidence-based programmes aimed at improving the well-being of Abians.