The Federal Government has renewed its unwavering commitment to providing reprieve for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North East.
This is contained in a statement issued by Mrs Boade Akinola, Director, Media and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Health, on Tuesday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that Minister of State for Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, reaffirmed government resolve while fielding questions from newsmen on Health and Nutrition Emergency Response in Borno State (HNERIBS) on Tuesday in Maiduguri.
Ehanire explained that health sector response is one of the strategic interventions of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari towards rebuilding the North East region.
He stressed that it is a critical milestone in the effort of the federal government to mitigate the suffering of the people and restore normalcy to the IDPs who have endured such hardship.
The minister noted that the federal and Borno state governments declared a health and nutrition emergency in June 2016.
The policy was aimed at addressing the effects of the crisis on the health of the people.
He explained that the plan had been approved and funded by the federal government through the Federal Ministry of Health, which is currently being implemented.
He added that the intervention is providing emergency nutrition and strengthening the health surveillance system targeting the IDPs in camps or host communities.
Minister also flagged-off a 6-day workshop on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) organised for Health and Nutrition Emergency Response Project (HNERP) Personnel.
He explained that mental health and psychosocial support component of the government intervention programme has been identified as a critical component of the HNERP.
Ehanire stressed that the aim of the programme was to provide psychosocial and mental health intervention to the traumatised people in the state.
In order to ensure success of the programme, he said, the FMoH working in conjunction with other stakeholders have developed a detailed work plan which would be implemented to provide relieve to the IDPs in the state.
The minister had earlier visited Gov. Kashim Shettima, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Usman Durkwa.
Durkwa expressed appreciation for the kind gesture shown to the people in the state by way of donation of medical supplies and other sundry consumables.
He added that the interventions had helped to cushion the effect of the psychological trauma of the victims of insurgency.
(NAN)