By SN24.com 
By Peter Akpah. 
The Immunization Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services (IMPACT) project held a high‑level stakeholder engagement meeting on Thursday, 4 December 2025 at Villa Grande Hotel, Jos. The gathering brought together Directors of Primary Health Care, Monitoring and Evaluation Officers, Officers‑in‑Charge, Ward Development Committee chairpersons and Medical Record Officers from IMPACT‑supported facilities across Plateau State to review progress, identify gaps and reinforce interventions aimed at improving maternal, newborn and child health outcomes.
IMPACT Programme and Project Manager for Plateau State, Nurse Ndak Kizito Zuhumnan, explained that the meeting was designed to assess key health indices, particularly treatment of fever in children under five, antenatal clinic attendance and the persistence of home births. He highlighted low antenatal attendance, poor facility delivery rates and delayed newborn immunisation as pressing concerns. “Our goal is to reduce infant and maternal mortality on the Plateau to the barest minimum. These stakeholders are key to helping us achieve that,” Zuhumnan said, adding that free delivery kits, malaria testing kits, ACTs and IPT3 for pregnant women have been made available in all participating PHCs.
John Ajang Izang, Chairman of the Ward Development Committee at Jos Jarawa PHC, expressed satisfaction with the tangible improvements brought by IMPACT, including facility renovations, provision of affordable high‑quality medicines, solar‑powered infrastructure and free baby packs for new mothers. He noted that the drug‑revolving scheme has ensured a steady supply of quality drugs without price complaints, making PHC services more attractive to the community.
Linda Chuwang, Director of Primary Health Care in Barkin Ladi LGA, described the engagement as timely, especially for facilities still awaiting upgrades. She called for accelerated completion of revitalisation works, noting that a clean and attractive environment encourages antenatal and delivery service utilisation, thereby reducing maternal mortality. Helen Damo, Director of Primary Health Care in Riyom LGA, stressed the importance of strengthening data‑reporting systems, asserting that accurate data directly shapes state‑level health indicators and that WDCs must sensitise traditional leaders and mobilise communities to improve coverage.
Monitoring and Evaluation Officer Benjamin Daniel Shankom highlighted the critical role of Ward Development Committees as direct links to grassroots communities. He said the project, implemented in 207 health facilities across the state, would benefit from the information shared at the meeting, enabling WDC members to promote facility patronage. Other participants, including Chief Benaya Obiaboso of Jenta Apata and Choji Nyam of Township PHC, acknowledged the progress achieved but appealed for additional staffing to meet rising service demand.
The meeting underscored the collaborative effort required to achieve the IMPACT project’s objectives and reinforced Plateau State’s commitment to reducing maternal and child mortality through strengthened primary health care services.