Abia to recruit more health workers, plans 35th anniversary

Abia State is set to bolster its healthcare workforce with plans for a new recruitment phase targeting medical officers, dental officers, and consultants for both full-time and part-time appointments. This initiative is part of ongoing reforms within the state's Ministry of Health, aiming to enhance service delivery. The State Executive Council, led by Governor Alex Otti, approved the commencement of recruitment, following the recent hiring of 742 medical personnel.

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In line with the ongoing reforms, the State Civil Service Commission will commence recruitment of more healthcare professionals tonight. At the last count, 742 medical personnel had been hired. This new phase will focus on medical officers, dental officers, consultants, both full-time and part-time. Interested candidates have been urged to apply.

The state's commitment to health sector reform has garnered significant international attention. A recent report by Philips Consulting and SBI rated Abia State as number one in healthcare affordability and among the top three nationwide for quality healthcare delivery. This recognition highlights Abia as the sole state to achieve a top-three ranking across 16 indicators of good governance, based on citizen perception, serving as independent validation of the sector's transformation.

In its efforts to reduce maternal and child mortality, the Ministry of Health has piloted a digital application named "CYTrack." This tool is designed to identify and monitor high-risk and teenage pregnancies through to delivery. Furthermore, the functionalization of Basic Health Centres has shown positive results, with the first 50 centers accounting for over 20% of 1.067 million Out-Patient Department visits and deliveries between July 2025 and June 2026. The state continues to expand this initiative, with 151 PHCs now functional and another 25 equipped centres scheduled for functionalization soon.

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The ranking and recognition by Philips Consulting serves as an independent validation of the impressive transformation recorded so far in the state’s health sector

Enrollment in the state's health insurance scheme has seen a modest increase, rising from 233,000 to 237,000 between late July and early August. To further strengthen the scheme, the Abiriba Community Improvement Union in North America has pledged to sponsor over 1,000 indigent individuals in the informal sector, a gesture the state government encourages others to emulate. Notably, Abia State has reported no outbreaks of major public health diseases, including Ebola, Lassa fever, COVID-19, Diphtheria, Cholera, Mpox, and Yellow Fever, within the specified period.

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The app has been used successfully to monitor such pregnancies up to delivery.