By Isaac Mission
The Enugu State Government has called on stakeholders in the health sector to ensure that government policies, investments and programmes translate into tangible improvements in the health and wellbeing of residents.
The Commissioner for Health, George Ugwu, made the call on Saturday in Enugu during the opening of the 2026 Health Sector Joint Annual Review Meeting.
Ugwu said the state administration remained focused on strengthening the healthcare system and making it more responsive, resilient and accessible to the people.
He urged health-sector stakeholders to embrace greater accountability, renewed commitment and coordinated action to improve healthcare delivery across the state.
The commissioner also praised Governor Peter Mbah for what he described as sustained investments, reforms and initiatives aimed at expanding access to quality healthcare services.
According to him, the annual review provides an opportunity to examine the implementation of the state's 2026 Annual Operational Plan and determine the level of progress recorded so far.
He noted that the meeting would also enable stakeholders to identify weaknesses and implementation bottlenecks while agreeing on practical measures to improve the sector's overall performance.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, George Nwachi, described the review as an important mechanism for strengthening accountability and encouraging decisions based on reliable evidence.
Nwachi encouraged participants to undertake a critical assessment of the year's achievements and challenges, identify areas requiring improvement and establish realistic priorities for better healthcare services.
During the technical sessions, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Ann Oguejiofor, presented the resolutions reached at the 2025 Joint Annual Review.
The presentation was intended to help stakeholders assess the implementation of previously agreed commitments and determine areas where further action is required.
The Sector-Wide Approach Desk Officer, Uju Ewoh, also presented an update on the state's maternal and neonatal mortality reduction innovation and initiative programme.
Meanwhile, the State Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Ikechukwu Obodo, unveiled a validated review template to guide the assessment of health-sector performance.
Obodo explained that the template would help ensure that the review process is based on dependable data, clear targets and measurable indicators.
The two-day review is expected to produce recommendations that will inform the development of Enugu State's 2027 Annual Operational Plan for the health sector.
The state government said the exercise forms part of its broader efforts to build a more efficient, accountable and people-centred healthcare system capable of delivering improved health outcomes for residents.
