FG determined to meet universal health coverage ― Minister of Health

Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, has said the attainment of universal health coverage (UHC) is a high priority for the government.

Ehanire who spoke in Abuja, on Wednesday, at an interaction with journalists to commemorate the World UHC Day added that reforms were already happening to make quality services available to more people, with stronger financial risk protection.

UHC Day is marked annually on December 12.

This year’s theme is ‘Health for all: Protect Everyone’.

Ehanire stressed that though the country has poor health indices, the Federal Government is committed to repositioning the healthcare sector to ensure all Nigerians have access to the quality healthcare they need without falling into poverty.

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“It is everybody’s right to have access to quality healthcare, whenever and everywhere.

“Any country that wants to have a healthy and viable workforce needs to be able to provide quality healthcare as there is nothing as damaging than an unhealthy population especially from diseases that can easily be prevented”.

He further explained that the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) and its agencies were working painstakingly to provide better access to higher quality services, increase community demand and improve health systems resilience, towards building the functionality needed to attain UHC.

“It is based on this that the federal government is striving to rehabilitate and revitalise the primary healthcare as the bedrock of development of the health sector.

“The newly revised BHCPF Guidelines is expected to be used to establish one primary healthcare centre per political ward where Nigerians will be able to access health services with a reasonable financial implication, he explained.

In his remarks, World Health Organisation (WHO) Representative in Nigeria, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo described health as a fundamental human right and no one should be denied quality health services for financial or other barriers.

Mulombo while commending the Nigerian government on the Basic Healthcare Provision Funds said the country is on track in its attempts to providing access to quality healthcare services for its citizens.

“Nigeria is on track with its efforts at providing quality care to the people everywhere anywhere through primary healthcare revitalization and leveraging on the Basic Health Care Provision Funds (BHCPF) which indeed is one of the nine-point next level agenda of Nigeria.”

“Knowing that health for all requires investments and action by all stakeholders – the WR urged the governments, development partners, civil society, communities and everyone to rally towards achieving UHC so that all people can enjoy good health and well-being.”

“At WHO, we are placing emphasis on high impact areas, such as supporting whole-of-system reforms and exploring innovative ways to get more services to people, including using information technology,” he said.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

FG determined to meet universal health coverage ― Minister of Health