Friday January 16, 2026
www.thenewsdesk.ng
The Akwa Ibom Governor, Pastor Umo Eno has approved immediate release of the 2025 counterpart funds for various interventions in health related programmes across the state.
Commissioner of Health, Dr. Ekem John, who briefed journalists at the Ministry’s review of 2025 activities in Uyo made projections for 2026 health sector developments as well as policies that would make positive impacts in contributing to the ARISE Agenda of the present administration.
Ekem explained that the funding covers related health programmes including health insurance, primary healthcare, immunisation, family planning and nutrition.
The commissioner highlighted major policy reform initiatives, noting that during the year under review, the ministry focused on strengthening infrastructure, improving staff welfare, training and enhancing service delivery aimed at producing better health outcomes.
He also used the occasion to highlight sectoral achievements and constraints, claiming that in the area of Leprosy and Tuberculosis control, the state has done very well.
‘’If you look at the TB indices, Akwa Ibom is doing very well. Last year alone, we commissioned five portable X-ray machines with the support of the Global Fund. And let me announce that all suspected TB patients in the health facilities where these machines are installed are to have their x-rays free of charge.”
In the area of HIV/Aids, the commissioner said though the ministry has not done too well, there has been improvement in reporting HIV in the state.
‘’For HIV/AIDS, this is one place where we have not done too well, but in terms of reporting, there has been an improvement. There are now about 168,000 persons living with HIV/AIDS who have been identified in Akwa Ibom State.
‘’This is progress because it’s down from over 200,000 that it was before. Two reasons accounted for this: The first is that some people did double counting in order to get antiretroviral drugs. So some registered in Eket and still registered in other places again.
‘’But we were able to do an audit and we arrived at that figure. It’s a good score that 99% of those who have HIV actually know that they have HIV. One of the challenge is that those who have HIV do not even know that they have it.’’
The Commissioner recalled 10 policies that helped to reshape the health sector developments in the state adding that some of the policies were reviewed after 13 years in the state.
“Last year , policy documents were developed such as the state essential medicine list as the last one was done in 2012,” he said
He maintained that the Ministry will evolve strategies to generate more revenue through the Treasury Single Account (TSA) in line with the governor’s directive.
“Residents must patronise hospitals so that we can generate revenue.”
