Health Commissioners from Nigeria’s 36 states have urgently called for increased budget allocations for the health sector at all government levels, emphasizing the critical need for enhanced funding to strengthen the country’s Primary Health Care (PHC) systems.
Speaking after a two-day summit in Abuja, Dr. Oyebanji Filani, Chairperson of the Nigeria Health Commissioners’ Forum and Commissioner for Health in Ekiti State, highlighted the pressing issue of health financing.
“We are advocating for increased budget allocations for health at all levels of government,” Filani stated, underscoring the forum’s commitment to fortifying PHCs as the bedrock of Nigeria’s healthcare infrastructure.
The commissioners, joined by the Mandate Secretary of Health for the Federal Capital Territory, also expressed support for the Federal Government’s National Policy on Health Workforce Migration.
Filani praised President Bola Tinubu for his approval of the policy and his substantial investment in the healthcare sector.
He stressed the urgency of addressing the acute shortage of healthcare professionals, as revealed in a recent assessment by the Nigeria Health Commissioners’ Forum, and called for innovative strategies to attract, train, and retain skilled health workers across the nation.
A significant portion of the summit discussions focused on the recent Supreme Court ruling on Local Government Financial Autonomy and its implications for PHC financing.
To address this, the commissioners established a sub-committee tasked with developing a position paper on the judgment’s impact, in collaboration with the Nigerian Governors Forum and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
In light of recent outbreaks of cholera, diphtheria, and mpox, the commissioners reviewed state-level preparedness and response measures.
Filani praised the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) for its leadership and called for ongoing support to enhance state-level readiness.
He announced that monthly meetings between State Health Commissioners and the NCDC’s Director-General would be instituted to improve coordination.
The commissioners also voiced concern over the growing prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension, diabetes, and renal diseases.
They resolved to prioritize NCDs in their health agendas and committed to launching a comprehensive awareness campaign titled “Know Your Number, Control Your Number,” set for the last quarter of 2024.
Furthermore, the commissioners expressed strong support for the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s emerging digital health initiative, aimed at transforming healthcare delivery through data-driven decision-making.
Filani commended the leadership of Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammed Ali Pate, and Minister of State for Health, Dr. Tunji Alausa, for their efforts in advancing digital health solutions.
Reaffirming their dedication to improving health outcomes across Nigeria, Filani called on all stakeholders, including the private sector and civil society, to collaborate in building a healthier and more prosperous nation.
NAN
