Abia Public Hospital Utilisation Surges from 319,000 to Over 1 Million Under Otti — Health Commissioner
Uchele says Nigeria’s healthcare reforms are yielding results in maternal and child health, insurance coverage, infrastructure and public confidence
By Pan Afric Reporters
Abia State Commissioner for Health, Professor Enoch Uchele, has disclosed that public hospital utilisation in the state increased from approximately 319,000 in 2023 to over 1.052 million in 2025, attributing the growth to ongoing healthcare transformation under Governor Alex Otti.
Uchele made the disclosure while speaking to journalists at the 2026 Joint Annual Review of the health sector, themed “Together to Higher Grounds: Let’s Make Evidence Count,” where he highlighted improvements in Nigeria’s healthcare delivery system since the introduction of coordinated reforms in 2023.
The commissioner said the transformation agenda championed by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, had helped dismantle institutional silos, harmonise healthcare planning and establish a unified approach to budgeting, reporting and service delivery across the country.
He noted that the reforms were producing positive outcomes, particularly in maternal and child health, with improvements in skilled birth attendance, emergency transportation for pregnant women, access to health insurance and infrastructure development across different levels of care.
“Today, we’re happy to see the outcome, that there has been a positive trajectory in the health outcomes of this country across the levels of care, particularly in maternal and child health,” Uchele said.
He further disclosed that Nigeria had expanded its primary healthcare infrastructure, with more than 17,000 new primary healthcare centres added to the available healthcare infrastructure nationwide, while public confidence in government-owned hospitals was also increasing.
According to him, the Joint Annual Review provides states with an opportunity to assess their performance through evidence-based scorecards covering infrastructure readiness, human resources for health, healthcare financing, affordability, innovation and technology.
Uchele explained that the review enables states to identify their strengths and weaknesses, develop strategies for improvement and learn from innovative healthcare interventions implemented by other states.
He said Abia State had progressively moved from the lower end of healthcare performance rankings to the upper levels through reforms aligned with national health objectives and the administration’s transformation agenda.
“Before now, Abia State used to be at the lower end of the ladder, but progressively, our score has climbed to the upper reaches of performance in the health sector. And it’s because our healthcare transformation, being led by His Excellency, is aligned with the national healthcare objectives,” he stated.
The commissioner stressed that the ultimate objective of the reforms was to guarantee accessible, affordable and quality healthcare for Nigerians irrespective of their income, geographical location or social status.
He added that the evidence-driven approach adopted at the Joint Annual Review would strengthen accountability, improve healthcare planning and enable governments to predict and address emerging health challenges.
Uchele expressed optimism that sustained collaboration between the Federal Government and state governments would further accelerate the transformation of Nigeria’s health sector.
“We’re not yet there, but there is hope for more progress to be made, because we have seen that we have turned the corner,” he said.
