SWAp
By Mustapha Yauri (08069722497)
The Kaduna state Government says it is leveraging the Federal Government’s Service Wide Approach (SWAp) initiative to unify health planning and strengthen its health systems.
The state government maintained that this bold move is with the view to reducing maternal and infant mortality indices across the state.
Hajiya Umma Ahmed, Commissioner for Health, disclosed this during a three-day training on ‘Health Systems Strengthening and Operational Planning’ for Programme Officers and Health Secretaries in Zaria on Thursday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training was organised under the framework of the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (HSRII) and the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) Reform Agenda.
Ahmed was represented by Dr Joseph Sunday, Director of Planning, Research and Statistics of the ministry at the training.
The commissioner, who lamented the poor maternal and infant mortality indices in the state, said the training was to equip the participants on better planning strategies towards enhancing health outcomes.
She said the workshop was also to equip them with advanced competencies in health systems strengthening, systems thinking in healthcare, problem-solving strategies and operational planning using the ‘Health Sector Strategic Blueprint’.
Ahmed added that the training was also a key preparatory step for the development of the 2026 Annual Operational Plan (AOP) and aligns with the Federal Government’s call for early and evidence-based planning at all level.
According to the commissioner, the state is migrating its AOP from an Excel-based template to an online AOP.
“This system thinking approach would be utilised to easily identify the challenges and plan our activities towards ameliorating the challenges identified, it is evidence based annual operation plan.
“With this system thinking approach, we will develop an annual operation plan that would be addressing key issues in the sector,’’ Ahmed said.
Earlier, Malam Saidu Bala, Kaduna State SWAp Coordinator, said the initiative was a change management system in the health sector.
According to him, it is aimed at changing health management towards making the sector to be more coordinated, better managed for an enhanced outcomes.
Bala said one of the objectives of the programme was to train health planners and programme officers on developing a ‘Need-based Annual Operation Plan’ in the state.
“Therefore, there is an urgent need of the participants to understand the change in the health management system that is brought by SWAP and partners and adopt it towards enhancing the well being of the citizens,’’ he said.
NAN also reports that SWAp is a development strategy where national governments lead partnerships with various stakeholders, including development partners, to support sector policies and programmes through shared systems and mechanisms.
This strategic engagement ensures the active involvement and alignment of stakeholders, such as government agencies, donors, and other partners, in planning, implementing, and monitoring SWAp initiatives.
