Determined to ensure the sustainability of Community Health Influencers Promoters and Services (CHIPS) in Gombe State, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has released the sum of one hundred and sixty one million naira (161,000,000) to cover for the funding gap due to the expiration of the donor funded programme last year.
The Governor has equally taken over the payment of the monthly stipends of one thousand two hundred Community Health Influencers Promoters and Services, CHIPS agents scattered across 57 wards of the State.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Ismaila Uba Misilli and made available to newsmen at the weekend.
Part of the statement reads: “Initially funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through the Society for Family Health, the programme addresses challenges of health care system and improves coverage and equity in the provision of primary health care services especially to women and children.
“The one thousand two hundred CHIPS agents have been engaged in counselling of pregnant women and referring them as well as their children to Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs).
“The Executive Secretary, Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Abdulrahman Shuaibu along side Directors in the Agency recently participated in the distribution of free commodities to the one thousand two hundred CHIPS agents in the State to be given to pregnant women.”
