By Stanley Nwako
The Anambra State Government has called for stronger coordination, collaboration and information sharing among health development partners operating in the state to improve healthcare delivery and ensure that interventions effectively reach the people who need them most.
The call was made during the 2026 Health Sector Partners Meeting, held on Wednesday, September 2, at Eastend Hotel, Awka.
The meeting brought together representatives of the Anambra State Government, development partners and other stakeholders supporting various health programmes and interventions across the state.
Partners in attendance included REDAIDNIE, UNICEF, WHO, APSON, AHF, SAWOR, CHAI and Jhpiego, among others.
In his opening remarks, the Director of Public Health in the Anambra State Ministry of Health, Dr. Afam Anaeme, welcomed participants and urged them to actively engage in the deliberations.
Anaeme said the active participation of all stakeholders was essential to achieving meaningful discussions and developing practical solutions to challenges affecting the state's health sector.
He encouraged partners to openly share their experiences, challenges, achievements and recommendations, noting that such engagement would help stakeholders identify gaps and strengthen the implementation of health programmes.
The meeting also featured goodwill messages from representatives of partner organisations, who reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the Anambra State Government in strengthening the health system and improving health outcomes across the state.
Speaking on the purpose of the meeting, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Dr. JohnPaul Onyekineso, said the government needed accurate information on the programmes and geographical areas where each development partner was implementing health interventions.
Onyekineso explained that mapping partners' areas of intervention would enable the government to identify gaps and weaknesses, minimise duplication of interventions and ensure that available resources were directed to areas of greatest need.
He further stressed the importance of effective communication between the government and development partners, noting that a clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder would enhance coordination and improve the implementation of health programmes.
The meeting provided an opportunity for development partners to present their programmes, achievements, areas of intervention and future plans. Discussions also focused on government health priorities, the One Health System and the Annual Operational Plan.
At the end of the meeting, stakeholders made recommendations and agreed on key next steps towards strengthening partnership, coordination and accountability in the health sector.
The participants expressed their commitment to closer collaboration, improved information sharing and better coordination of health interventions as part of efforts to build a stronger, more integrated health system and provide quality healthcare services for the people of Anambra State.
