By Khadija Kubau
Kaduna State has commenced a two-day Joint Annual Review (JAR) of the health sector aimed at assessing the implementation of its 2026 health programmes, reviewing achievements and challenges, and setting priorities to strengthen healthcare delivery and shape the state’s 2027 health budget and operational plan.
The review, which began on Monday brought together representatives of the Federal and Kaduna State Ministries of Health, development partners, academia, civil society organisations, traditional institutions, professional associations, the private sector, community leaders and the media.
Representing the Kaduna State Commissioner for Health, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Aisha Abubakar Sadiq, described the Joint Annual Review as a statutory annual exercise that provides a platform for stakeholders to evaluate the performance of the health sector, strengthen accountability and improve planning.
She said the gathering allows government and partners to assess progress made against the state’s Annual Operational Plan, identify implementation gaps, review lessons learned and adopt innovative approaches that will improve health outcomes.
According to her, Kaduna State has recorded significant achievements over the past year, including the upgrade of several primary healthcare centres, renovation and equipping of secondary health facilities across the state, expansion of health insurance coverage for vulnerable citizens, recruitment of more than 1,000 primary healthcare workers under a multi-year plan, commissioning of a 300-bed international-standard hospital, establishment of a second standardised neonatal care centre at General Hospital Sabo, and improvements in pharmaceutical storage and logistics systems.
She added that the state has also renovated and equipped colleges of nursing and midwifery, conducted mass chemoprophylaxis campaigns for school-age children and implemented several other interventions that have contributed to improvements in key health indicators, including reductions in maternal and neonatal mortality and declining cases of child malnutrition.
Despite the progress, Dr. Sadiq stressed the need for stakeholders to openly discuss existing challenges and identify practical solutions that will accelerate improvements in healthcare delivery.
“Our goal is to save lives, reduce both physical and financial hardship associated with accessing healthcare, and ensure quality health services for every resident of Kaduna State,” she said.
Earlier, UNICEF Health Specialist, Dr. Idris Baba, said the Joint Annual Review is being conducted under the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) architecture adopted by the Federal Government to strengthen coordination and collaboration across the health sector.
He explained that the review provides an opportunity for government and partners to jointly assess implementation of the 2026 health work plan, document successes, identify challenges and agree on priority interventions for the second half of the year while generating evidence to guide planning and budgeting for 2027.
“The review enables us to compare what we planned with what we have achieved, identify areas where we are excelling, address existing gaps and build on good practices to improve health outcomes,” he said.
Also speaking, the Head of Health Systems Strengthening at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Olushola Ayola, commended Kaduna State for aligning with the national Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative.
He noted that the state’s investments in health infrastructure, human resources for health, primary healthcare revitalisation and health insurance expansion demonstrate strong commitment to improving the wellbeing of its citizens.
Ayola said the Federal Ministry’s delegation was in Kaduna to provide technical support throughout the review and assist stakeholders in identifying priority actions that would further strengthen the health system.
The two-day review is expected to produce actionable recommendations that will guide Kaduna State’s health sector priorities for the remainder of 2026 and inform the development of the 2027 Annual Operational Plan and health budget.
