Experts urge effective implementation of Nigeria’s health sector renewal initiative

The federal government and health professionals have called for strategic efforts to ensure the effective implementation of Nigeria’s Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative.

They made the call during a webinar policy dialogue organised by the Nigerian Academy of Medicine (NAMed) in collaboration with the Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC).

It was themed ‘The Health Minister’s Sector Renewal Plan: National Policy Direction for UHC’.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu unveiled the Health Minister’s Sector Renewal Plan-National Policy Direction for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in December last year.

The Executive Director, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Muyi Aina, said the initiative was not just a blueprint for transforming the health sector in Nigeria but a shared commitment to a healthier and more prosperous country.

Represented by Dr Ngozi Nwaosu, the Director, Primary Health Care Systems and Development of the agency, he said primary healthcare (PHC) is the foundation of a robust healthcare system in any country.

“We must strengthen our PHC facilities, ensuring every Nigerian has access to high-quality and equitable services,” he said.

Dr  Salma Anas-Ibrahim, Special Adviser to the President on Health, said Nigeria has sound policies that could transform the healthcare system, adding that there is a need to start implementing the policies to improve the health outcomes of all Nigerians.

She said, “Things don’t just change, and things can change if we are ready to change them by making deliberate and intentional attempts to shift it in the right direction”.

Dr Stanley Ukpai, Director of Projects, of dRPC, said the 2024 approved budget did not meet the Abuja Declaration of 15% allocation of the budget to the health sector.

He said the country has the potential to improve its healthcare system through addressing barriers that hamper access to high-quality services.

A council member of NAMed, Prof. Akin Osibogun, said sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 24 per cent of the global burden of diseases but has only three per cent of the global workforce.

He said there is a need to examine the supply and demand side to improve health care in the continent.

The chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health in the 8th National Assembly, Olanrewaju Tejuoso, said the government could build the trust of citizens in medical delivery by offering free services to Nigerians for at least six months.