The Coordinating Minister for Health & Social Welfare Prof. Muhammadu Pate has affirmed improving population health outcomes and, ensuring financial protection to the poorest and vulnerable in the country as a focal point for implementation by the President Bola Tinubu led administration.
This is according to a statement issued by the Director of Press and Public Relations of the Ministry, Balogun Alaba on Friday.
Balogun said the Minister made the commitment at the opening ceremony of the 65th National Council of Health (NCH) in Maiduguri, Borno State.
The theme of the 65th NCH meeting is ” Accelerating Pathways To Universal Health Coverage: Strategies For 2030 Success”.
Pate explained that under the first pillar of governance, the Ministry had mobilised and and repositioned regulatory bodies at the Federal level, the National Food Drug & Administration Control (NAFDAC), he stressed, is a strong regulator that maintains the safety and efficacy of health products and distribution system.
Emphasizing the collaboration between the Federal and States for achieving and improving population health outcomes, Prof. Pate said more than 8,000 primary health care centres in Nigeria had benefitted from the N46 billion released by the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).
Furthermore, a testament of this partnership and collaborative efforts was the training of more than 43,000 frontline health workers out of the targets of 120,000 that was set, which is still ongoing, he pointed out.
“We have expanded the medical relief program to provide targeted support to ensure that the poorest and most vulnerable access products when they need them. The revitalisation of primary health care has been underway, and more will be revitalised. I think we have visibility to almost 4,000 in collaboration with the states”, the Coordinating Minister added.
Elaborating further, Prof Pate revealed that efforts by the Federal Government to make affordability to healthcare by women with obstetric fistula complications was yielding positive results coupled with reducing maternal mortality in the country.
“On the affordability side, through the National Health Insurance Authority NHIA, the obstetric complication of Vesico Vaginal Fistula, we’ve had more than 1,000 women already being prepared for their obstetric fistula complications free of charge since that initiative was announced. In addition, in an effort to reduce the maternal mortality, we know that at least 30 primary health care centres, secondary facilities are able to offer similar services. These services are being provided by the NHIA and, more will be provided.
“By the end of the year, we’ll have less than 100, and they would have reimbursement for NHIA to offer these free services for emergencies for women when they face obstetric complications, including cesarean sections”, Prof. Pate explained.
Speaking on the importance of maintaining industrial harmony in the health sector, the Coordinating Minister appealed to the various professional groups to place the people at the centre of attention, stressing that the issues were being resolved by this administration front-end.
