BENIN CITY – Stakeholders in Edo State have pledged to strengthen and sustain primary healthcare services by signing the Edo State Primary Healthcare (PHC) Sustainability Commitment at the end of the Edo Shine PHC Summit 2026 in Benin City.
The two-day summit, organised by the Edo State Primary Health Care Development Agency (EDSPHCDA), brought together government officials, healthcare professionals, development partners, academics and community leaders to develop strategies for improving primary healthcare and accelerating universal health coverage across the state.
Speaking at the opening ceremony on behalf of Governor Monday Okpebholo, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Cyril Adams-Oshiomhole expressed the state government’s commitment to building a resilient, accessible and people-centred healthcare system capable of delivering quality services to residents in every community.
He described the summit as a call to action aimed at strengthening the state’s primary healthcare system through practical solutions and collaboration among key stakeholders.
According to him, countries that have recorded significant improvements in health outcomes achieved such progress by investing in strong primary healthcare systems.
He noted that primary healthcare centres remain the first point of contact for most residents, providing maternal care, immunisation, disease prevention, early detection of outbreaks and other essential health services close to the people.
Oshiomhole said that the state government was improving healthcare infrastructure, expanding the workforce, strengthening disease surveillance, embracing digital health solutions and promoting data-driven decision-making while working closely with development partners and communities.
He acknowledged that challenges such as workforce shortages, sustainable financing, infrastructure and community ownership still required attention, urging participants to ensure the summit produced practical recommendations that would improve healthcare delivery.
Executive Secretary of EDSPHCDA, Dr Coulson Osoikhai, in his remarks, said that the agency and its partners had made significant progress in improving access to quality primary healthcare, particularly for women and children.
He recalled that many primary healthcare centres across the state’s local government areas were previously in poor condition, resulting in avoidable illnesses and deaths.
According to him, the state government’s collaboration with the World Bank through the Immunisation Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services (IMPACT) Project had helped improve healthcare services and restore public confidence in the system.
Osoikhai said the summit was convened not only to showcase achievements but also to chart a path for sustaining the gains already recorded.
He urged stakeholders to remain committed to ensuring that every resident of Edo State continued to enjoy access to quality and affordable primary healthcare services.
The summit featured a keynote lecture by Prof. Andrew Obi on strategic leadership in achieving universal health coverage, as well as a high-level panel discussion on sustainable health financing, governance of primary healthcare at state and local government levels, and the relationship between basic education and health outcomes.
Participants at the end of the summit endorsed and signed the Edo State PHC Sustainability Commitment, reaffirming their resolve to strengthen the state’s primary healthcare system through sustained collaboration and shared responsibility.
