Taraba HSMB, EGPAF Strengthen Partnership to Improve Healthcare Delivery
By Christiana Babayo
The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) has paid a courtesy visit to the Executive Secretary of the Taraba State Health Services Management Board (HSMB), Dr Garba Danjuma, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery in the state.
The EGPAF delegation was led by the Country Manager, Dr Umahi Godwin, alongside the Programme Officer, Benard Blessing Oyiwodu.
The team congratulated Dr Danjuma on his appointment as Executive Secretary and expressed readiness to deepen collaboration with the board.
Speaking during the visit, Dr Umahi said the engagement was aimed at reaffirming EGPAF’s commitment to Taraba State, exploring areas of strategic collaboration with the HSMB, and identifying opportunities to provide increased technical support to the state’s health system.
He appreciated the support the foundation has received from the Taraba State Government and the Health Services Management Board in the past, and called for sustained partnership in the months ahead to consolidate gains in healthcare service delivery.
Dr Umahi also highlighted EGPAF’s ongoing work on the Triple Elimination Initiative, which targets the elimination of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis among pregnant women to prevent mother-to-child transmission.
He explained that the initiative is being implemented in collaboration with the National AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections Control and Hepatitis Programme (NASCP), in partnership with the Taraba State Government.
The pilot phase of the project will be carried out at Bali and Zing General Hospitals, with training already ongoing for healthcare workers in selected local government areas.
Under the initiative, pregnant women will be tested for the three infections, while those who test positive will receive appropriate treatment, with the overall goal of eliminating vertical transmission from mother to child.
In his response, Dr Garba Danjuma thanked the EGPAF team for the visit and the goodwill extended to him, noting that building a resilient health system is a continuous process that requires collective effort.
“Wherever we find ourselves, we must work together towards a common goal,” he said.
Dr Danjuma recalled the long-standing collaboration between the board and other development partners, particularly in reducing HIV prevalence in the state, noting that controlling infections among children is critical to reducing adult prevalence over time.
He pledged the continued support of the Health Services Management Board to EGPAF programmes and urged the foundation to promptly communicate any challenge requiring intervention.
“Let us know wherever there are challenges so we can come in and assist in any way possible,” he added.
The Executive Secretary also highlighted ongoing reforms by the board, including the development of an electronic medical records platform that enables health facilities to upload data on cases attended to.
He said the platform has been piloted and is currently being implemented in three hospitals across the state.
Additionally, Dr Danjuma disclosed that the board has developed a human resource for health tracking tool to monitor staffing levels, retirement projections and workforce distribution across health facilities.
He assured that the state would remain an active partner in ongoing research efforts aimed at strengthening the health system.
