By Stella Kabruk

Kaduna State Government has set the pace by becoming the first state to domesticate the National Ward Development Committee (WDC) Guideline, designed to address the state’s unique healthcare realities.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the domestication was adopted at the end of a three-day workshop on primary healthcare delivery organised by the Kaduna State Primary Health Care Board (KSPHCB) in partnership with the EngenderHealth-led consortium.

Speaking at the closing session, the representative of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Joseph Wuya, described the initiative as innovative and groundbreaking.

He commended Kaduna for taking the lead in adapting the national guideline to suit its geographical terrain, population, and peculiar implementation challenges.

According to him, the exercise demonstrated the state’s commitment to strengthening community participation in healthcare governance and improving the effectiveness of WDCs.

“I appreciate the Kaduna State Government for supporting this wonderful initiative.

“Kaduna is the first state in the country to domesticate the National WDC Guideline to fit its realities, and I believe the document produced here will become a reference point for other states,” he said.

Wuya commended the inclusive nature of the review process, noting that government officials, development partners, civil society organisations, traditional leaders, community representatives, and technical experts worked together to co-create the document.

He particularly commended the lead consultant, Prof. Clara Ejembi, for her leadership and technical guidance throughout the three-day exercise.

The NPHCDA official also expressed satisfaction with the critical review undertaken by participants, especially the identification of gaps and implementation challenges within the national guideline.

He noted that participants highlighted the limited functionality of Village Development Committees (VDCs) in many communities and proposed measures to ensure equitable representation of all communities within the WDC structure.

He emphasised that while the development of the guideline was a significant achievement, its success would ultimately depend on effective dissemination, implementation, and operationalisation across the state.

He reaffirmed NPHCDA’s commitment to supporting the state in efforts aimed at improving health outcomes, reducing morbidity and mortality, and strengthening community engagement in healthcare delivery.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Kaduna State WDC Alliance, Balarabe Idris-Jaji, described the successful completion of the workshop and development of the domesticated guideline as a major milestone.

Jaji commended all stakeholders and partners for their support and commitment throughout the process.

According to him, the collaborative effort demonstrated the shared commitment of stakeholders to strengthening community structures and improving primary healthcare service delivery across the state.

Earlier, participants reviewed and validated recommendations from five technical working groups established to examine and adapt the 18 chapters contained in the National WDC Guideline.

The review process focused on strengthening governance structures, accountability mechanisms, community representation, sustainability frameworks, operational procedures, and stakeholder coordination within Kaduna State’s primary healthcare system.

Participants expressed optimism that the domesticated guideline would provide a practical framework for enhancing community ownership of healthcare programmes, improving accountability, and strengthening the delivery of primary healthcare services at the grassroots level.

The workshop concluded with a renewed commitment by stakeholders to support the dissemination and implementation of the guideline to ensure that its objectives translate into measurable improvements in health outcomes across the state. (NAN)