The Cross River State Government and its development partners have concluded a two-day Joint Annual Review (JAR) with renewed commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery, improving accountability and accelerating progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC) across the state.
The high-level review, held from July 28 to 29 at the College of Nursing Sciences Hall, Calabar, brought together heads of health agencies, directors, programme managers, monitoring and evaluation officers, federal health institutions and development partners to assess implementation of the 2026 Annual Operational Plan (AOP), evaluate sector performance and outline strategic priorities for the 2027 planning cycle.
Speaking at both the meeting, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Henry Egbe Ayuk, attributed the progress recorded in the sector to sustained investments in primary healthcare, strong collaboration with development partners and the unwavering support of Governor Bassey Edet Otu’s administration for health sector reforms. He commended the Governor for creating the enabling environment for critical reforms, including stronger regulatory frameworks and improved access to essential medicines and medical commodities.
“What we are seeing as obvious achievements in the health sector are majorly because we are doing very well in the primary healthcare sector. We want to appreciate the funding support we have from our partners. It is significant because even if you have a bad manager, you will not see those results,” Ayuk said.
The Commissioner also highlighted recent policy milestones, including the passage of the Health Quackery (Prohibition) Bill, 2026, describing it as a landmark intervention that will eliminate unlicensed medical practice, curb fake practitioners and strengthen health regulation through the establishment of a Health Monitoring Task Force. He further clarified that while eligible health workers may apply for a five-year extension upon attaining the retirement age of 60, such approvals are not automatic but subject to recommendations by the appropriate authorities in line with existing regulations.
The Director-General of the Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. (Mrs.) Vivien Mesembe Otu, identified inadequate funding as one of the major constraints affecting programme implementation across primary healthcare facilities. She stressed that despite careful planning, limited resources had affected execution of several planned interventions.
“We can sit here, plan all the plans, review all the reviews and develop all the work plans, but if we don’t have funding, we cannot implement. Even at the primary healthcare level, I am sure we have not achieved up to 40 per cent of our work plan,” she said, while acknowledging the support of partners, particularly UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO), in sustaining primary healthcare services across the state.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Jonah Bassey Offor, described the review as an important opportunity to assess progress, identify implementation gaps and strengthen evidence-based planning. He noted that while notable gains had been recorded over the past year, significant challenges remained.
“As administrators, planners and implementers, we must increasingly rely on quality data rather than assumption. Every decision should be driven by evidence,” Offor said, assuring stakeholders of the Ministry’s commitment to improved governance, financial accountability and efficient resource utilisation.
The Cross River State Coordinator of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Mr. Stanley Effah, reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to expanding access to affordable and equitable healthcare services through Universal Health Coverage. He said NHIA had strengthened provider accreditation, improved quality assurance, expanded enrolment and supported key national health insurance programmes across the state.
Also speaking, Mr. Omoruyi Iyahen of the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) Coordination Office in the Federal Ministry of Health said the office would continue aligning partner investments and strengthening coordination across the health sector. He noted that the review was expected to produce high-impact, costed interventions capable of improving service delivery and strengthening the state’s health system.
The Cross River State Coordinator of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Yewande Olatunde, described the review as timely, saying it provided an opportunity for stakeholders to assess progress made over the past year and collectively chart a more effective course for the future. She reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to supporting the state’s health priorities, while the Excellence Community Education Welfare Scheme (ECEWS) also pledged continued support for critical health interventions.
At the close of the exercise, participants reviewed programme performance across key health indicators, identified implementation gaps and agreed on strategies to improve resource utilisation, accountability and service delivery. The resolutions reached, alongside presentations by agencies including the Cross River State Health Insurance Agency (CRSHIA), are expected to guide the state’s 2027 health planning cycle and strengthen the delivery of equitable, quality healthcare for all residents.
By Kingsley Agim
