All 11 native authorities areas in Gombe State recorded comparatively low scores in a main healthcare efficiency evaluation, with the council ranked highest, scoring simply 38.3 per cent, elevating questions on native authorities management, supervision, and accountability in managing grassroots healthcare companies.
The evaluation ranked Gombe LGA first with 38.3 per cent, adopted by Billiri with 35.8 per cent and Kaltungo with 35.2 per cent.
Yamaltu-Deba scored 34.6 per cent, Funakaye 32.1 per cent, whereas Shongom recorded 31.8 per cent, in line with findings offered on the 2026 third-quarter evaluate assembly of the Gombe State Taskforce on Primary Healthcare. The outcomes point out that not one of the six highest-ranked LGAs achieved 40 per cent.
The poor scores come regardless of years of presidency interventions geared toward strengthening main healthcare supply, together with facility revitalisation, recruitment of well being staff and investments in well being info techniques.
At the current evaluate assembly, Deputy Governor Manassah Jatau, who chaired the state taskforce, expressed concern over the commonly low efficiency and urged native authorities chairmen to take higher duty for enhancing healthcare supply.
He referred to as on council chairmen to undertake common visits to main healthcare amenities, strengthen supervision, encourage well being staff and guarantee accountability within the administration of healthcare companies.
Jatau additionally harassed the significance of documenting official actions, resolutions and follow-up actions, noting that monitoring efforts should be supported by verifiable data.
At the evaluate assembly, the state authorities additionally introduced the supply of three tricycle ambulances, one for every senatorial district, alongside six bikes and three laptop computer computer systems for Gombe, Billiri and Kaltungo LGAs to strengthen emergency referrals, area supervision and information administration.
The state additionally introduced the approval of N46 million in counterpart funding for the November and December 2026 immunisation rounds and maternal, new child and youngster well being interventions.
The Executive Secretary of the Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Abdulrahman Shaibu, mentioned the state had attained 97 per cent preparedness for the forthcoming immunisation train.
There are Challenges
The considerations replicate broader institutional challenges recognized in a January 2026 examine revealed within the Pan African Medical Journal, titled Transforming the well being system in Gombe State: Accomplishments, Challenges and the Next Frontier.
The study, which documented discussions on the state’s October 2025 well being summit, recognized insufficient well being personnel in rural communities, uneven distribution of staff, weak native authorities capability in planning and budgeting, and gaps in supervision as persistent constraints to efficient healthcare supply.
It additionally recognized shortages of kit, unreliable electrical energy and connectivity, and periodic stock-outs of important medicines and medical consumables in some revitalised main healthcare amenities.
These challenges elevate questions on whether or not investments in infrastructure and personnel are being matched by efficient administration and oversight on the native authorities degree.
A separate 2025 public expenditure monitoring survey performed by the Gombe State Government in partnership with UNICEF additionally identified weaknesses within the circulate and documentation of main healthcare funds.
The survey, which coated 114 well being amenities throughout the state’s 11 LGAs, discovered a 47 per cent decline in routine immunisation funding between the central and native ranges.
It additionally recognized an 88.4 per cent discrepancy between funds reported as disbursed by the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency and quantities reported as obtained by native authorities authorities.
The examine additional documented delays of between 4 and 35 days in fund transfers, in addition to variations in routine immunisation visits reported at LGA and well being facility ranges.
Although the findings don’t set up the causes of the newest management problem scores, they level to longstanding considerations round monetary administration, documentation and the monitoring of healthcare actions.
The state authorities, nonetheless, has reported appreciable investments within the sector. At its August 2026 Joint Annual Review, the federal government mentioned it had revitalised greater than 100 main healthcare centres and recruited over 1,200 well being professionals.
It additionally reported that routine immunisation protection had exceeded 85 per cent in a number of native authorities areas, whereas digital well being info techniques had been being deployed to enhance planning and decision-making.
However, the identical evaluate recognized declining routine immunisation, shortages of important tuberculosis commodities, insufficient home financing, weak commodity safety and information administration challenges as areas requiring additional consideration.
There are media studies that documented deteriorating circumstances in some rural well being posts throughout the state, together with insufficient tools, electrical energy and water provide. Some studies highlighted how residents in some communities relied on makeshift healthcare preparations, whereas others travelled a number of kilometres to entry functioning amenities.
Gombe State emerged second within the North-East within the 2023/2024 and 2025 editions of the nationwide PHC Leadership Challenge, receiving $400,000 in every version. It additionally received the 2023/2024 Most Innovative State in Primary Healthcare award, with its biometric programme recognised amongst its notable improvements.
However, the newest state-level evaluation presents a unique image of main healthcare administration throughout its native governments.
The PHC Leadership Challenge is an initiative coordinated by Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and UNICEF, with help from Gates Foundation and Aliko Dangote Foundation.
It goals to encourage states to enhance governance, financing, service high quality, sustainability and well being outcomes of their main healthcare techniques, in step with the Seattle Declaration commitments collectively adopted by all 36 state governors in 2019.
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