Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency

14/03/2026

𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐨𝐧 𝐍𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐁𝐂 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬

CALABAR, March 13, 2026 – The Cross River State Government, through the Primary Health Care Development Agency (CRSPHCDA), today successfully concluded the five-day strategic workshop focused on the domestication of national nutrition and Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) strategies. The technical engagement brought together government stakeholders, development partners, and public health experts to refine policies and align them with the socio-cultural realities of Cross River State.

The closing session, held at Dannic Hotels, Calabar, was attended by the Director General of CRSPHCDA, Dr. Vivien Mesembe Otu, the Honourable Commissioner for Health, Dr. Henry Egbe Ayuk (JP), alongside representatives of implementing partners, development agencies, and senior technical officers from the health sector.

In his remarks, the Honourable Commissioner for Health provided a comprehensive overview of the expected outcomes of the workshop, emphasizing that the developed frameworks will serve as working documents to guide implementation, policy direction, and strategic decision-making in nutrition and health programming across the state.

He noted that the collaborative effort reflects the government’s determination to ensure that policies do not remain theoretical but are transformed into actionable plans capable of delivering measurable impact at community level.

A major highlight of the closing session was the formal adoption of all working documents and technical recommendations developed during the workshop. Each task and strategic action point was clearly assigned to responsible persons and institutions, accompanied by defined timelines to ensure effective implementation and accountability.

Speaking on behalf of the government, the Honourable Commissioner for Health, Dr. Henry Egbe Ayuk (JP), reaffirmed the unwavering commitment of the Cross River State Government to safeguarding the health and wellbeing of its citizens.

“𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉 𝒐𝒇 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒂 𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒅𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏. 𝑮𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉 𝒔𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒔 𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚, 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒇𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒎 𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔.”

He further emphasized that the outcomes of the workshop will strengthen service delivery across the 18 Local Government Areas of the state, ensuring that nutrition interventions and behavioural change strategies are effectively implemented to improve maternal, child, and community health outcomes.

The workshop concluded on a strong note of collaboration and optimism, reflecting the vision of a people-first administration that continues to “Think Cross River.”

With renewed partnerships, strengthened policy frameworks, and a unified roadmap for action, Cross River State remains firmly committed to building a healthier population capable of enjoying the opportunities and prosperity that define the state’s “Season of Sweetness.”

13/03/2026

‎𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 (𝐌𝐂𝐇) 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬: 𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐄𝐅 𝐄𝐧𝐮𝐠𝐮 𝐅𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐑𝐒𝐏𝐇𝐂𝐃𝐀.
‎On March 12, 2026, the Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (CRSPHCDA) hosted a high-level technical engagement meeting with the UNICEF Enugu Field Office. Representing UNICEF was Dr. Ifeyinwa Uzoamaka Anyanyo, a dedicated Public Health Specialist, who met with the Director General of CRSPHCDA, Dr. Vivien Mesembe Otu, and a consortium of agency program managers.
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‎The meeting served as a strategic platform to evaluate current Maternal and Child Health (MCH) indicators in Cross River State and to co-create data-driven interventions aimed at reducing mortality rates and improving healthcare delivery at the last mile.
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‎𝐒𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬: 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 & 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫
‎The engagement opened with a critical review of the state's health landscape. While Cross River has achieved a milestone with 95% immunization coverage, significant challenges remain regarding maternal and neonatal survival.
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‎𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑴𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚: Current data highlights an urgent need for targeted intervention in high-burden areas to address persistent mortality rates.
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‎𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬
‎Dr. Ifeyinwa Uzoamaka Anyanyo and the CRSPHCDA technical team outlined a comprehensive roadmap for mitigation through several key action plans.
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‎To ensure Data-Driven Policy, the agency will utilize DHIS-2 and CHAMPS (Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance) data to specifically target Local Government Areas (LGAs) exhibiting the highest mortality rates. Regarding Clinical Excellence, the strategy involves the distribution of "Mama Kits" and the intensification of specialized training for Community Health Practitioners in Emergency Obstetrics.
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‎To strengthen System Integration, the agency is committed to bridging the gap between Antenatal Care (ANC) and Child Welfare Services, ensuring a seamless continuum of care from pregnancy through early childhood. Finally, Community Engagement will be prioritized by leveraging Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs); these stakeholders will be trained to recognize high-risk cases and refer them to primary health centers without delay.
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‎𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐐𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬
‎"Our vision is to ensure every woman in Cross River experiences a safe pregnancy. We are eliminating the 'five delays' because no mother should die while bringing life."
— Dr. Vivien Mesembe Otu (DG CRSPHCDA).
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‎"UNICEF remains committed to supporting Cross River State in refining its public health strategies. By focusing on evidence-based interventions, we can move the needle on neonatal and maternal indicators significantly." — Dr. Ifeyinwa Uzoamaka Anyanyo, UNICEF Enugu Field Office
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‎𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐬
‎The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment to the "People-First" Agenda of the State Government. The agency and UNICEF agreed to a quarterly review of these indicators to ensure that the proposed interventions translate into measurable lives saved.
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12/03/2026

𝐃𝐆 𝐂𝐑𝐒𝐏𝐇𝐂𝐃𝐀, 𝐃𝐑. 𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐍 𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄 𝐎𝐓𝐔, 𝐅𝐋𝐀𝐆𝐒 𝐎𝐅𝐅 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐖𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐋-𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐃𝐄𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐆𝐍

​𝑪𝑨𝑳𝑨𝑩𝑨𝑹, 𝑪𝑹𝑶𝑺𝑺 𝑹𝑰𝑽𝑬𝑹 𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑻𝑬 – In a decisive move to bolster the health and academic potential of the state’s younger generation, the Director General of the Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency (CRSPHCDA), Dr. Vivien Mesembe Otu, has officially flagged off the 2026 School-Based Deworming Exercise.

​The flag-off ceremony, held at the Government Technical College, Mayne Avenue, Calabar, marks the beginning of a week-long intensive health intervention. This year’s campaign, themed "Deworming is good for children, deworm them today," is carried out with the strategic support of Evidence Action.

​𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒄 𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉 𝑰𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒕
​The initiative is designed to combat Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STH), which can lead to anemia, malnutrition, and impaired cognitive development in growing children. By removing these biological barriers to learning, the State Government aims to improve school attendance and overall childhood development.

​𝑲𝒆𝒚 𝑪𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒈𝒏 𝑫𝒆𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒔
​Primary Target: Children aged 5 to 14 years.
​Geographic Scope: 14 Local Government Areas (LGAs) across Cross River State.
​Implementation Period: 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉 𝟏𝟏𝒕𝒉 – 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉 𝟏𝟕𝒕𝒉, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔.
​Methodology: Integrated school-based distribution of safe, effective deworming medication.

​𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕
​During the ceremony, Dr. Vivien Mesembe Otu emphasized that this exercise is a core component of Governor Sen. Prince Bassey Edet Otu’s "𝑷𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕" mandate. She noted that protecting children from preventable parasitic infections is a foundational step toward a healthier, more productive Cross River State.

​"Our goal is to ensure that no child in the targeted 14 LGAs is left behind," Dr. Otu stated. "We call on parents, teachers, and community leaders to cooperate fully with our health workers to make this exercise a resounding success."

​𝑨𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝑪𝑹𝑺𝑷𝑯𝑪𝑫𝑨
​The Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency is dedicated to providing accessible, affordable, and quality primary healthcare services to all residents of the state, focusing on maternal and child health, immunizations, and disease prevention.

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11/03/2026

𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐧𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐁𝐇𝐂𝐏𝐅 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞

As part of ongoing efforts to strengthen Primary Health Care (PHC) service delivery across Cross River State, sensitization, engagement, and onboarding activities were conducted for newly selected facilities under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) across the Northern, Central, and Southern Senatorial Districts of the state.

The activities commenced with sensitization and onboarding sessions for newly approved facilities in the Northern Senatorial District. The sessions were designed to introduce facility managers and key health workers to the objectives, operational framework, and implementation guidelines of the BHCPF program. Participants were educated on the effective utilization of funds, financial accountability, service delivery standards, reporting procedures, and the importance of community sensitization and mobilization to improve service uptake at the facility level.

Following this, similar onboarding exercises were conducted for newly selected facilities in the Central and Southern Senatorial Districts of Cross River State. The onboarding process involved orientation meetings with facility managers, Local Government health authorities, and other relevant stakeholders. These sessions strengthened participants’ understanding of BHCPF operational procedures, fund management systems, data reporting requirements, and quality improvement measures necessary for delivering efficient and effective primary health care services.

An important component of the activity was the BHCPF engagement meeting, which brought together key stakeholders and implementing partners to review program implementation, discuss progress, and address existing challenges affecting service delivery and uptake. The engagement meeting provided a platform for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and strengthening accountability mechanisms for the effective management of BHCPF resources.

In her opening remarks, the Director General of the Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Vivien Mesembe Otu, warmly welcomed all participants and expressed appreciation to stakeholders and partners for their continued support in strengthening the state’s primary health care system. She encouraged health facilities to intensify efforts in improving the quality of care, service delivery, community sensitization, and mobilization of clients to health facilities in order to enhance service uptake.

Dr. Otu also addressed some of the challenges affecting service uptake and delivery across facilities. She emphasized that facilities with low performance should strive to meet the standards of those with higher performance, while those already performing well should maintain and further improve their performance. She stated clearly that the agency would continue to closely monitor the progress of facilities at all levels of performance to ensure improved outcomes across the state.

Furthermore, she encouraged the newly onboarded Basic Health Care Provision Fund facilities to put in their best efforts to ensure that their facilities remain top-notch in service delivery and health care utilization. She stressed that the agency is committed to ensuring that all Primary Health Care facilities across Cross River State become high-performing facilities, and urged facility managers and health workers to leverage the opportunity provided by the BHCPF program to strengthen service delivery in their communities.

A major highlight of the event was the formal onboarding of the newly approved BHCPF facilities across the state, carried out by the Director General of the Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Vivien Mesembe Otu, who officially welcomed the new facilities into the BHCPF program.

The event also had in attendance several key partners and stakeholders who play significant roles in the implementation and success of the program. These included representatives from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Cross River State Health Insurance Agency, CHAMPS, as well as other development and implementing partners working to strengthen primary health care services in the state.

With the successful sensitization, engagement, and onboarding activities conducted across the three senatorial districts, Cross River State now has a total of 333 health facilities participating in the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF). This expansion marks a significant milestone in the state’s commitment to improving access to quality and affordable primary health care services for communities across Cross River State.

10/03/2026

𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞.

CALABAR, March 9, 2026 – The Cross River State Government, through the Primary Health Care Development Agency (CRSPHCDA), has initiated a strategic five-day workshop to domesticate national nutrition and Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) strategies. The move aims to replace generic health frameworks with context-specific solutions tailored to the state’s unique socio-cultural landscape.

​Opening the session at Dannic Hotels, Calabar, the Director General of Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Vivien Mesembe Otu, underscored the government’s commitment to evidence-based public health.

​"𝑶𝒖𝒓 𝒈𝒐𝒂𝒍 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒚 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍, 𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒅𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔," 𝑫𝒓. 𝑶𝒕𝒖 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅. "𝑩𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒆𝒔, 𝒘𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒅𝒎𝒂𝒑 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒆𝒅, 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒎𝒑 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒏𝒖𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏."

​The engagement, supported by UNICEF and the Ministry of Health, focuses on three key pillars:

​𝑫𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: Aligning policies with local traditions and needs.
​𝑽𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: Ensuring all interventions are measurable and practical.
​𝑼𝒏𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝑹𝒐𝒂𝒅𝒎𝒂𝒑: : Creating a single guiding document for all stakeholders.

​The five-day technical session is expected to culminate in a coordinated action plan that will serve as the blueprint for nutrition and health interventions across all 18 Local Government Areas of Cross River State.

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10/03/2026

04/03/2026

This is the hardest pill to swallow. You can do everything right, work hard, be kind, stay late and things can still go wrong.

Release the "contract" you think you have with the future, and you'll find you're much harder to disappoint.

02/03/2026

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏

The Management and Staff of the Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency heartily congratulate His Excellency, 𝑺𝒆𝒏. 𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑩𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒚 𝑬𝒅𝒆𝒕 𝑶𝒕𝒖, on your distinguished award as the Silverbird Man of the Year.

​Your unwavering commitment to putting the People First has turned Cross River into a beacon of excellence, proving that when you Think Cross River, the whole world takes notice.

As we celebrate the strength of One Cross River, One Love, we honor a leader dedicated to spreading the Season of Sweetness through purposeful and compassionate governance.

Well deserved, Your Excellency.

01/03/2026

Happy New Month

27/02/2026

We often seek advice from parents, friends, or bosses who have played it safe their whole lives. If you want to build something new, stop looking for directions in old history books.

Dr. Vivien M. Otu

26/02/2026

Glancing back is for learning; staring back is for crashing. If you spend all your mental energy on "what used to be," you will inevitably ruin "what is."

25/02/2026

When you’re wrong, explain why so people can understand you, but don't justify it to stop them from blaming you. One invites healing; the other just starts a war.