The World Health Organisation (WHO) has underscored the critical importance of collaborative strategies in strengthening an inclusive and resilient healthcare system in Nigeria.
Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo, the WHO Representative in Nigeria, emphasized this point during the 64th National Council on Health (NCH) held in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
Dr. Mulombo praised the NCH as a unique platform where federal and state leaders, supported by partners, collaboratively evaluate, co-create, and make significant decisions on health issues. He highlighted the sub-themes as intensifying discussions on critical health issues requiring collective attention.
While commending Nigeria’s prioritization of primary healthcare and health financing as key drivers toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Dr. Mulombo also acknowledged the pressing challenges faced by the country, ranging from high out-of-pocket expenditures to the complex landscape of communicable and non-communicable diseases.
He called for a transformative shift from conceptualization to actionable results, aligning with international commitments. Dr. Mulombo reaffirmed WHO’s commitment and aligned the organization’s efforts with the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration, reflecting in the strategic pillars of the health sector renewal investment program.
In a related development, the Oyo State Government has initiated a sensitization campaign against five priority diseases, namely Lassa Fever, COVID-19, Diphtheria, Cholera, and Anthrax. Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, the Commissioner for Health, flagged off the community sensitization program, emphasizing that these diseases are preventable through clean environments, access to a clean water source, healthy eating habits, adherence to a balanced diet, and proper waste disposal systems.
The WHO representative suggested exploring innovative approaches for continuous engagement between the Federal Ministry of Health and various state governments, aiming to enhance performance tracking and effective implementation of council resolutions.