By CrossRiverWatch Admin
Following the signing of an agreement between the Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency CRSPHCDA and Cuso, a Canadian development organization, the Primary Health Agency has assured Cross Riverians that the partnership will provide human resources to boast policy implementation, health plans, monitoring and evaluation through the volunteer scheme.
CUSO is a Canadian development organization that works to reduce poverty and inequality through the efforts of highly skilled volunteers, collaborative partnerships and compassionate donors.
The agreement which was signed at the CUSO country office in Calabar, the Cross River state capital also saw the formal handing over of the monitoring and evaluation specialists from CUSO to the Agency.
While presenting the volunteer from Canada, Dr. Uko Ekot who led the CUSO delegation said the purpose of the support is to institutionalize a robust working relationship with the Agency and also assist the state to design, review and implement its primary health care plan in line with the VOICE AQHS project objectives in Cross River State.
According to him, the volunteer, Ginette Potentier will support the review of the primary health care operational plan, assess and map gaps in existing knowledge management and learning structures across the technical part of the Agency, work with staff to develop comprehensive processes and systems to create, acquire, capture, share and use knowledge to enable learning in line with the objectives, values and policies of the Agency and finally coach and mentor relevant staff of the Agency directly involved with monitoring and evaluation, health information management systems to strengthen the partnership framework of the Agency.
Dr. Uko further stated that the volunteer, Ginette Potentiers, has only 10 weeks to spend in Nigeria before going back to Canada and afterward would be replaced with another volunteer who will be coming in to continue.
In her remark, the DG of the Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency, CRSPHCDA, Dr Betta Edu said with the support of CUSO the Agency will have organizational capacity to boost it’s monitoring, evaluation and accountability processes that are some of the major focal points.
“The State is delighted to receive support from CUSO especially in the area of M&E which is a very strong pillar for the health system of the state. We have no doubt that her (the volunteer) professionalism and wealth of experience will help strengthen M&E system in the state.” said Dr. Edu.
Stressing further on the need for sustainability of the volunteer program, the DG said, the Agency will appeal to CUSO for more capacity building for her M&E staff across the State.
Also Speaking, Dr. Iwara Iwara, Director Community Health said the entire Agency is grateful to CUSO for its sterling performance in areas of providing technical support and manpower resources in M&E which would help strengthen the data management of the State.
Responding, the volunteer, Ginette Potentier, said she hopes to add her perspective about healths information systems and data management to the healthcare system of the state.
“Before the expiration of my 10 weeks in the Agency, I will share my wealth of experience through capacity building to the M&E Unit, she noted.
The DG had earlier signed the MOU and working terms of the volunteer at CUSO office as part of the process leading to the official presentation.
Present at the meeting include Director of Administration, Mr Randy Otu, Mrs Felicia Eyaba SIO, Mrs Agnes Ogogo, State Mobilization Officer, Mr Aleje Edward, M&E officer and staff of the Monitoring and Evaluation Unit of the Agency .
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