WHO regional director for Africa visits Nigeria, pledges to support health agenda

The World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for Africa Dr Matshidiso Rebecca Moeti has pledged to support the Nigerian Health Agenda especially in the areas of Universal Health Coverage, primary healthcare, resource mobilisation, capacity building, maternal and child health, immunisation to prevent child killer diseases, as well improve surveillance and preparedness against health emergencies.

Dr Moeti made this known on Monday while meeting with management of the Federal Ministry of Health in Abuja.

She said that the essence of her visit was to meet with national authorities in Nigeria to strategise on ways of sustaining the landmark achievements so far in the health sector.

She said “Nigeria is the biggest country in Africa in terms of population. So, it is very important to work with Nigerian government to improve the healthcare system of the country if Nigerians are healthy it means African people are healthy”.

Speaking on Primary Healthcare, the WHO Regional Director for Africa said that Primary Healthcare and Universal Health Coverage is number one priority in WHO agenda in Nigeria.

She added that WHO would share experience, ideas on Primary Healthcare System with a view to achieving the Universal Health Coverage in the country.

“I want to assure you of our firm commitment and support to make sure that Nigeria realise and achieve the laudable Health Agenda,” she said.

She further suggested that government at all levels should provide incentives to healthcare officials residing in rural areas, such incentive will encourage them to put in their best no matter the difficult circumstance they find themselves.

Earlier in his presentation, title “Universal Health Coverage, an Agenda for Change”, the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, said that the Ministry’s focus is more on achieving the Universal Health Coverage as it was believed that it would change the perspective of health to the one that is contributory to National Development.

He said that Federal Government is in the process of rehabilitating 10,000 PHCs in the next two years with minimum of one functional PHC per ward.

“Having at least one functional health facility per ward offering quality health services 24 hour seven days a week for free, will go a long way of closing the gap between the rich and the poor in accessing the healthcare service,” he said.