The immediate past Commissioner for Health in Rivers State, Professor Adaeze Chidinma Oreh, has called for stronger accountability, sustainable healthcare financing and evidence-based planning to improve healthcare delivery in the state ahead of 2027.
She made the call on Wednesday while delivering the keynote address at the 2026 Rivers State Health Sector Joint Annual Review Meeting in Port Harcourt, held under the theme, “Evidence to Action for Better Health Outcomes in Rivers State.”
She described the Joint Annual Review as more than a routine administrative exercise, stressing that it provides a critical opportunity for reflection, performance evaluation and strategic alignment to safeguard the health and well-being of residents across the state.
“The mandate of this year’s Joint Annual Review is clear: we must turn evidence into action, and data into tangible human impact”, she said.
The former commissioner also advocated the adoption of digital health tools, electronic health records and reliable data-reporting systems to strengthen healthcare planning, improve service delivery and enhance supply chain management, noting that these measures would help ensure the timely availability of essential medicines and medical commodities.
Emphasising the importance of accountability in building public trust and sustaining partnerships within the health sector, Professor Oreh declared that accountability must be non-negotiable.
“Progress without accountability is fleeting”, she said.
She urged relevant stakeholders to accelerate enrolment in health insurance schemes to reduce financial barriers to healthcare access and protect families from being pushed into poverty by medical expenses.
In his opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Vincent Wachukwu, said the 2026 review would assess key areas of health sector performance, including survival and equity, continuity of care, service quality, system capacity, health intelligence, and the implementation of corrective actions.
He explained that activities undertaken during the period under review, particularly in data quality improvement, health workforce analysis, oversight of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), service readiness and operational planning, had enabled the ministry to examine the conditions necessary for effective healthcare delivery across the state.
“This Joint Annual Review should establish where these efforts are producing improvement and where further support is needed”, he said.
The review is expected to provide an opportunity for stakeholders to assess progress, identify gaps and strengthen evidence-based interventions aimed at improving health outcomes across Rivers State.
- Alete is the Information/Public Relations Officer, Ministry of Health.