By Amawu Cletus Albert Amawu.
IKOM, CROSS RIVER STATE – In a significant move to enhance grassroots healthcare delivery, Community Health Practitioners converged on Ikom for the 2025 edition of the Mandatory Continuous Professional Development Programme (MCPDP) for Community Health Practitioners, organised by the Community Health Institute (CHI), in collaboration with the Community Health Practitioners Registration Board of Nigeria (CHPRBN) and the National Association of Community Health Practitioners of Nigeria (NACHPN), the training held at Favour College of Health Technology, Etomi Road, Ikom, drew participants from across the State.
With the theme, “Strengthening the Nigeria Health Care System: The Role of Community Health Practitioners,” the week-long programme featured technical sessions aimed at boosting the competence, capacity, and commitment of health professionals delivering services in rural and semi-urban communities. Topics included Modified Life-Saving Skills (MLSS), Management of Emergencies in Primary Health Care Centres (PHCC), National Standing Orders, and Ethics, Attitude, and Health Communication.
In his welcome address, Comrade Peter Agorye Kelege, State Chairman of NACHPN, highlighted the importance of the training, stating that it was a national directive to ensure standardisation across states. “It is not about me, but about the collective decision of our national body, borne out of the urgent need to uplift community healthcare service delivery,” he explained. He stressed that practitioners must be equipped to tackle evolving health challenges, especially the shift from infectious to non-communicable diseases.
Kelege emphasised that the training was not just for licence renewal, but for professional renewal. “We must build capacity in new guidelines and emergency response, build confidence in tackling public health risks, and strengthen our commitment to the values and ethics of our practice,” he said. Drawing inspiration from pioneers like the late Dr Lambo, Kelege encouraged practitioners to remain resilient, stating, “A candle loses nothing by lighting another, we must continue to give hope, share knowledge, and provide care.”
The programme received commendable support from the Cross River State Government, as noted in the presence of high-level officials including the Special Adviser on Health to the Governor, who represented both the Governor and the Honourable Commissioner for Health. Representatives from the Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency (CRSPHCDA), the Ministry of Health, and the Permanent Secretary were also in attendance. Goodwill messages were delivered by the representatives of the Registrar of the Board- Alhaji Bashir Idris, the Director-General of CHI., the National President of NACHPN., Comrade Kabir Y. Ahmed and other key stakeholders.
Participants described the event as “electrifying”, marked by enthusiastic engagement and a shared resolve to raise the standard of healthcare in local communities. The 2025 MCPDP training have just reinvigorate Practitioners awareness to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) a critical step toward uniformity in service delivery across the country.
As the 2025 MCPDP concluded, it left behind a renewed sense of purpose and professional solidarity among community health practitioners in Cross River State, who now return to their respective communities better equipped to offer consistent, people-centred primary healthcare.
“Great Community Health – Our Concern! PHC is the Key. The key to success and appropriate technology and sustainability is the answer,” Kelege concluded, rallying practitioners to rise with competence, compassion, and courage.
