The Adamawa Primary Healthcare Development Agency (ADPHCDA),
in collaboration with International Committee for Red Cross (ICRC) trained 20 officials for the implementation
the Algorithm for the Management of Childhood Illness (ALMANACH) in Kano, Kaduna,
Gombe, Taraba and Yobe states.
The Executive Chairman of the agency, Dr Suleiman Bashir, made this known during the training in Yola.
Bashir, who said that Adamawa was the first state in the country to implement ALMANACH in 12 health facilities of two
local government areas, added that “gradually, the project is being implemented in 420 health facilities across 21 council areas of the state.”
He added that ALMANACH had yielded positive results in providing quality healthcare services for children under the age of five years.
He said “using ALMANACH has improved the quality of consultation and holistic nature of diagnosis.
“The training is a fulfilment of the National Council of Health where Adamawa presented a project for the management of childhood
illness and five states declared interest.
“At the end, it was adopted by the council that digital e-health is the way to go and today, we are orienting teams that will implement
the program.
In his address, Dr Ibrahim Sahabo, the Project Manager of ALMANACH, said implementation started since 2016 and a lot of successes recorded.
He explained that “ALMANACH is basically an electronically decision support system that emphasizes the use of Integrated Management of
Childhood Illnesses (IMCI) as an e-health initiative.
“This is a protocol for consulting under five children, developed by World Health Organisation (WHO) and used by lower level health workers.
“The mechanism is to deliver effective treatment with an application in an android device.”
Dr Apollos Nachanuya, who spoke on behalf of the trainers assured readiness for successful implementation of the project.
ALMANACH is an innovative, user-friendly mobile application that provides real-time
and context-specific support for clinical decision-making.
The training participants include health officials from the Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital, the
Specialist Hospital, Yola and staff of the state’s Primary Healthcare Development Agency.
