Anambra State has conducted interviews for Community-Based Health Workers to boost grassroots healthcare delivery.
Officials emphasized compassion, integrity, and accountability as essential qualities for candidates serving rural communities.
The Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (ASPHCDA), in collaboration with the State Ministry of Health (SMOH) and the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), has conducted interviews for the recruitment of Community-Based Health Workers (CBHWs).
The exercise, held at the Jerome Udoji Secretariat Complex in Awka, is aimed at strengthening grassroots healthcare delivery by improving access to affordable services in rural communities. The initiative is part of government’s broader plan to deploy qualified personnel to local wards, bridging the gap between residents and health facilities.
During the interview session, the Executive Secretary of ASPHCDA, Pharm. Chisom Uchem, reminded applicants that the role is community-based and carries high responsibility. She urged them to approach the work with compassion and integrity, stressing that negligence could endanger lives. She further warned that candidates caught presenting forged certificates would face prosecution.
Also addressing participants, the Permanent Secretary of SMOH, Dr. Uchebo Obiageli, explained that the workers would be responsible for caring for the sick, guiding residents to health centres, and assisting pregnant women to ensure safe deliveries. She added that the programme is designed to reduce maternal mortality, stillbirths, and other preventable deaths, with at least ten workers expected to be assigned to each ward across the state.
Present at the exercise were senior officials of ASPHCDA, including Dr. Ngozi Okeke, Head of Community Health; Mrs. Cecilia Peter-Okoye, Head of Administration; Mrs. Amaka Maduka, Head of Accounts; and Mr. Casmir Mabia, Head of Planning, Research and Statistics. Others included Mrs. Chinyere Edeh, Anambra State Chairperson of the Association of Community Health Practitioners of Nigeria (ACHPN), Directors of Primary Healthcare for Idemili North and Oyi LGAs, Mrs. Chinwe Okeke and Mrs. Ebele Ezelote, as well as representatives of the Community Health Practitioners Council and other stakeholders.
