Madar (Maradi) - Niger's Minister of Health and Public Hygiene, Medical Colonel-Major Garba Hakimi, on Friday, 6 November, chaired a ceremony in Maradi to receive a World Health Organization (WHO) donation to the region of medicines, three ambulances and a tricycle, according to the Niger news agency ANP.
The ceremony took place at the regional health and public hygiene directorate as part of the minister's working visit to the region, where he arrived on Thursday from Agadez, the agency said.
The minister said the supplies were intended mainly for type 2 integrated health centres built by the state under the "La Vignalie" project, and pledged that every measure would be taken to ensure they are used judiciously for the benefit of the population.
He said the donation would help strengthen the health system and improve patient care, and thanked WHO and other technical and financial partners for supporting Niger's health sector.
The WHO representative praised the strategy of upgrading integrated health centres to type 2, aimed at widening access to quality health services, and reaffirmed the organisation's commitment to supporting the government's efforts.
Earlier in the week, the minister visited hospitals in Agadez and the construction site of a dialysis centre in the city.
