Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has commended the Fathers for Good Health (F4H) initiative for enhancing immunisation, maternal and child healthcare service delivery.
He said this at the 2026 F4H Award Ceremony, on Tuesday in Bauchi.
Represented by his deputy, Auwal Jatau, the governor said the initiative played a significant role in promoting positive health behaviours and strengthening the link between communities and healthcare facilities.
Mohammed said members of the group made significant contributions in promoting positive health behaviours, immunisation campaigns, maternal and child healthcare utilisation, and mobilising communities.
He said the efforts contributed significantly to improving the health status of the people of the state.
“You have become an important bridge between health facilities and communities, ensuring that no mother or child is left behind in accessing life-saving healthcare services,” he said.
Mohammed described the event as a celebration of excellence, and a recognition of the importance of community ownership and male involvement in improving public health outcomes.
He recalled that upon assuming office in 2019, his administration built on ongoing support by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which began the upgrading of 107 healthcare facilities, aimed at reducing maternal and child mortality.
The governor said the state government strengthened partnerships with development organisations and increased investments in the health sector to ensure quality healthcare service delivery.
“The state government released more than N872 million in counterpart funding to the Primary Healthcare Memorandum of Understanding (PHC-MoU) Basket Fund account in the previous years,” he said.
Mohammed said the intervention sustained critical healthcare services, including routine immunisation, maternal healthcare, nutrition programmes and other life-saving interventions.
He said the state government also spent over N600 million on procurement of nutrition commodities through its partnership with UNICEF.
The governor said the state received about 4,562 cartons of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), and 15,419 cartons of Small-Quantity Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements (SQ-LNS), to combat malnutrition and improve child survival.
Mohammed said the F4H programme was expanded from two to 10 local government areas of the state, enabling more communities to benefit from interventions aimed at promoting immunisation and positive health behaviours.
He further commended UNICEF, the Gates Foundation, the Aliko Dangote Foundation, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other development partners for their supports to the state.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Sani Muhammad Dambam, said the state government prioritised community-driven healthcare interventions.
He urged members of the F4H group to remain committed toward promoting behavioural change, noting that the effort was contributing to healthy families and safe communities.
Dr Asnakes Tsega, UNICEF Team Lead in Abuja, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to child protection, and lauded the state government for supporting the initiative.
Tsega said UNICEF recognised the role of men in family decision-making, which informed the establishment of the programme in Ningi and Misau LGAs.
He sought for the expansion of the programme to the cover the 20 LGAs in the state.
Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, Executive Chairman, Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Board, said the initiative had boosted healthcare service delivery by encouraging fathers to support immunisation, antenatal care attendance and skilled birth services.
He said the F4H volunteers played a key role in reducing the number of zero-dose children in the state.
The chairman noted that the programme was introduced in the state following observations that some men prevented their wives and children from accessing essential healthcare services.
The F4H programme is being implemented in Bauchi, Giade, Kirfi, Darazo, Ganjuwa, Itas-Gadau, Toro, Ningi and Misau LGAs.
Ganjuwa was recognised as the best performing LGA while Bauchi and Darazo occupied the second and third position, respectively.