The Ogun State Government has identified effective Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) of operational plans of the health sector as crucial to delivering qualitative and affordable health care services to residents.

          Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, made this known in Ijebu-ode at a 5-day workshop for the development of the Ogun State Annual Operational Plan (AOP), for 2022, saying the activities of monitoring and evaluation officers would go a long way in enhancing the State's performance in the health sector.

          Coker, represented by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. Tayo Lawal, said through M&E, leaders in health agencies would be able to identify gaps that need to be addressed for effective implementation of healthcare policies, after they have been developed.

          The Commissioner disclosed that the AOP for 2022 is being developed from the National Strategic Health Development Plan 2 (2018-2022), which is a document shared nationally and expected to be adapted at State level.

          "You will recall that early in the closing quarter of last year, we drafted our first AOP for 2021. It afforded us the opportunity to narrow down our needs and plan towards doing things right, with the objective of advancing the vision of our Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, for the health sector. We are here again to repeat the process and I must mention that commitment to monitoring and evaluating the implementation of these plans for 2022 is crucial", she said.

          Coker noted that the AOP for 2022 would be the last that would be drafted from the current national strategic document, calling on stakeholders at the workshop to put in their best during the process, as the implementation of the AOP would serve as a baseline for the development of a fresh plan for 2023.

          In his welcome address, the Coordinating Director, Ministry of Health, Dr. Kayode Soyinka said that the AOP is an opportunity for stakeholders to design a roadmap on how to actualise the vision of government at both Federal and State levels.

          Soyinka appreciated the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) for facilitating the workshop, advising participants to reflect not only the national plan in their development of Ogun AOP, but also the Ministry's budget estimates for 2022.

          Speaking on behalf of UNICEF, Dr. Kalilu Muhammad, said health should be made a priority at all levels, as it is no longer a social enterprise, but a bedrock of the economy, assuring that UNICEF would continue to partner Ogun in its development pursuit.