The coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, has said that the drive to revitalize the health sector, fueled by critical stakeholders’ contributions to the health component of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, remains steadfast.
According to him, the past 12 months have seen significant accomplishments with the vigorous implementation of the Four Point Agenda by the Ministers of Health and Social Welfare, supported by the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Compact between the Federal Government, 36 State Governments, and development partners, yielding tangible and intangible results.
Additionally, the launch of the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative has further accelerated progress as the initiatives have sparked significant investments in primary and tertiary healthcare infrastructure, unlocking the nation’s health sector value chain and paving the way for local manufacturing of drugs and medical devices.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, highlighted these achievements during the Ministerial Sectoral briefing in Abuja on Friday, noting that the government has demonstrated its commitment to the sector by substantially increasing budgetary allocations to health for the first time in a long while. This increased funding underscores the sector’s prioritization and signals a new era of investment in the nation’s health infrastructure.”
The Minister noted that President Tinubu’s prioritization of health, proactive approach to addressing challenges, and determination to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) have earned him recognition as the African champion for human resources for health and community health delivery by the African Union (AU).
This has also attracted foreign direct investment (FDI) to the sector, which was previously unappealing to foreign investors and development partners.
Furthermore, an Executive Order, currently finalized and awaiting the President’s signature, will streamline the importation of raw materials and equipment for pharmaceuticals and medical devices, reducing barriers and enabling the country to drive the market in Nigeria and the African continent, thereby reducing dependence on imports.
Over the past 12 months, investments have been made in both primary and tertiary healthcare institutions, making quality healthcare services more accessible and affordable for Nigerians.
The signing of a strategic compact by President Tinubu, the 36 States, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and development partners during the launch of the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (SWAp) in December 2023 underscores the government’s determination to drive meaningful change in the sector.
Pate said: “For the first time, our development partners signed a Compact governing our joint operations with them. This also included the private sector and civil society.
“At that event, our partners pledged $3 billion, reflecting their confidence in Mr. President’s agenda. Of this pledge, we have signed a $932 million grant with GFATM, $200 million with a philanthropic foundation, and expecting an additional $60 million in grants, $150 million announced by the Gavi Alliance, in addition to a US$1 billion facility governed by MOU signed with Afreximbank.
“We have begun to strengthen the regulatory framework within the sector. There are 16 professional regulatory bodies and other regulators of pharmaceuticals, such as NAFDAC, pharmaceutical council, medical laboratories, medical and dental council, nursing and midwifery council, and other aspects of the ministry’s stewardship role that we have repositioned and reinvigorated their leadership.
“We reviewed audits on the previous utilization of such financial resources and identified major gaps in several states.
“These issues were addressed through the National Economic Council and the Governors’ Forum. Our state governors have been instrumental in aligning with the President’s vision for increasing investments in the health sector.
“The transparency of disbursing the Primary Health Care Provision (BHCPF) funds was enhanced by conducting it publicly and establishing a hotline for Nigerians to report any misuse of resources.
“Oversight bodies such as the ICPC and EFCC are also encouraged to monitor to ensure that the implementation at the state level aligns with the intended objectives, particularly in terms of infrastructure and equipment, and that the resources are not misused”.
On Population Health Outcomes, noting that the Federal government, State Governments, and intergovernmental entities are all responsible for delivering the goals, Pate said: “At the Federal Ministry of Health, we oversee 30 teaching hospitals, 22 Federal medical centers, and 21 specialty hospitals, along with five core agencies, 16 regulatory bodies, 10 departments, and three special units.
“At the primary health care level, through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), in collaboration with the States, we outlined a plan to revive 8,300 primary health care centers across the nation to make them fully functional and to expand and upgrade to 17,000 Primary Health Care Centers over the next 3-years.
“Regarding the revitalization of primary health care, which aligns with the President’s directive, I am pleased to report that N260 billion is already currently available at the state level for this purpose through International Development Association (IDA) financing and the BHCPF.
“In September, we announced the commitment to retrain 120,000 frontline health workers.
“This is part of a three-year agenda, and His Excellency, Mr. President, was recognized by the African Union as the African champion for human resources for health and community health delivery.
“To fulfill this promise, we have reviewed and updated the training guidelines and curriculum for these frontline health workers. The revised guidelines have been printed, and the resources for training have been secured.
“The trainers have been trained in almost all states. Within the next one or two weeks, the training itself will commence across all states of the Federation.
“Over the next three years, at least 120,000 frontline health workers serving rural populations will be equipped with the necessary skills, supported by the infrastructure and equipment we will provide.
At least 1,400 Primary Health Care Centers are now equipped to provide skilled birth attendance, funded through the NPHCDA and the NHIA, covering the 8,300 facilities.
“More than 2,400 health workers, including nurses, doctors, and midwives, have been recruited to provide services to Nigerians, many of whom are women in rural areas delivering essential services”.
According to the Minister, the nation has also recorded groundbreaking feats in preventive measures, saying, “Over 5 million Nigerian children have been vaccinated against diphtheria using pentavalent vaccine.
“More than 10 million Nigerian children received the tetanus and diphtheria vaccines.
“We are working hard to stop the circulating variant polioviruses showing up in Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, and Kebbi States.
“We have delivered measles vaccines to more than 5 million children to protect them against measles, and 4.95 million girls 9-14 years in 15 States have received HPV vaccines to protect them against cervical cancer, representing 80% target, among the highest in the world. 6 million more are planned to receive the vaccines in the next phase for 21 states starting from May 27, 2024.
“In terms of hospital equipment and infrastructure, the Federal hospitals have successfully executed 201 specific infrastructure projects in the last 1 year.
“Additionally, 179 specific pieces of important medical equipment were procured by the Federal government and distributed across the six geopolitical zones.
“In 33 of our Federal tertiary hospitals, approximately 4.5 million Nigerians accessed outpatient health services, and 1.6 million had inpatient admissions, showing that Nigerians are using the services provided by the Federal Government in those facilities, supported by an amazing army of health professionals.
“We are witnessing a substantial upgrade in healthcare infrastructure, a testament to the President’s leadership.
“Plans are underway for the groundbreaking ceremony of 10 healthcare infrastructure projects, through the NSIA, across the six geopolitical zones, including diagnostic centers and oncology centers.
“These developments are part of a broader initiative involving public-private partnerships. We are moving forward with a major PPP to get to the full business case stage for expanding infrastructure and equipping 6 teaching hospitals. Addressing the critical issue of the health workforce, we have doubled the intake capacity of our educational institutions”.
The minister also stated that the government has also taken short and long-term steps to address the negative trend of mass migration of medical personnel to other countries which has affected the nation’s health sector drastically.
He said enrollment quotas for medical schools, nursing schools, and other health professional training institutions have increased significantly from 28,000 to 64,000 annually, noting that, “This is necessary given the shortage of health workforce.
“We have also approved a managed migration policy for health and are looking at how best to address the excessive workload of medical providers, especially the medical doctors.
“In the last 7 months, more than 100 young medical graduates secured residency positions in the US and we issued the certificates of need for them to be trained and return home, and changed the policy to include domestic as well as internationally trained medical graduates.
“We are working with the Ministry of Labor as well as the Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission to address long standing legacy issues of compensation and allowances which will take time and more patience from health workers”.
To address health cost-induced poverty, he said the government has taken pragmatic steps to ensure that quality healthcare is both accessible and affordable.
According to the Minister, this will be achieved through local manufacturing of medicines, medical equipment, and commodities, which will not only reduce the financial burden on Nigerians when accessing quality healthcare but also decrease the nation’s reliance on imports.
Additionally, this approach will enable Nigeria to drive the market locally and in the African continent, boosting its economic prospects, citing the arrival of Brazilian investors in the nation’s health sector.
“On the demand side, to expand affordability and financial protection, we are repositioning NHIA to expand insurance coverage for all Nigerians, especially the poor and vulnerable, not excluding civil servants who need deepened coverage. 1.8 million Nigerians are covered through the Vulnerable Groups Fund at NHIA.
“Reforms of the NHIA soon to be announced will address areas, including expanding private health insurance for the informal sector, and strengthening the HMOs in tandem with SSHIAs at the States, repositioning NHIA as an effective and efficient regulator of the health insurance markets. Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain – The third pillar of our agenda is to unlock the healthcare value chain.
“The President has emphasized the importance of domesticating production capabilities, to retain economic value, and create jobs for our youth.
“In October, Mr. President approved the Presidential Initiative to Unlock the Healthcare Value Chain. Since then, we have made steady progress in policy changes to facilitate this goal.
“The first policy measure, a draft Executive Order, has been produced and finalized. Once signed by the President, it will reduce barriers related to the import of raw materials and equipment for pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
“This policy change will enable Nigerians to produce essential items domestically, such as syringes, needles, generic pharmaceuticals, test kits, and long-lasting insecticide-treated nets for malaria.
“We aim to shift the production of bed nets, currently manufactured abroad, to local production, fostering self-sufficiency and economic growth. One of the world’s largest treated bed net manufacturers is exploring ways to establish a manufacturing plant in Nigeria to produce for Africa.
“The forthcoming executive order, prepared in collaboration with the Attorney General, will pave the way for local manufacturing, job creation, and economic value retention within Nigeria. This initiative will shape the pharmaceutical market to support local industries.
“The President’s effective promotion of Nigeria as a business-friendly environment has already attracted several international investors and foreign direct investments.
“Notably, a Brazilian entity has committed US$240 million to establish a generic manufacturing plant in Nigeria.
“Additionally, three entities are set to produce test kits, with one already operational in Lagos and two more on the way. This marks a significant shift from the past 25 years, when such kits were imported.
“The policy changes initiated by the President are now fostering domestic production and more are on the horizon”.
Nigeria’s remarkable progress in disease control and prevention has garnered international recognition, as evident in the hosting of the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Abuja, a milestone that was solidified with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) last week Abuja, the Minister said.
According to him, the past year has seen an unprecedented effort to prevent the spread of communicable diseases in some parts of the country, with the new Director-General of the Center for Disease Control (NCDC) playing a crucial role in driving this initiative forward.
“The NCDC’s success lies in its ability to prevent diseases from becoming widespread, as evidenced by the containment of the Lassa outbreak and the rapid response to meningitis with the introduction of the pentavalent meningitis vaccine.
“The President has also approved additional resources for the NCDC to have contingent financing available, allowing for prompt action during health crises.
“The One Health Steering Committee comprising health, environment, agriculture, and water ministries to coordinate the approach to preventing outbreaks is in full effect.
“We have submitted Nigeria’s application to the Pandemic Fund for increased financing. Malaria remains a pressing issue in Nigeria.
“Recently, we initiated a major effort to reassess our approach to malaria, with the goal of accelerating progress towards its elimination, including better case management, affordable medicines, optimized delivery of tools, careful introduction of vaccines when available, community engagement, and data systems.
“Research and knowledge-building are crucial components of all our endeavors. We established NHRC and NHREC to strengthen ethics and governance in research and clinical trials.
“These committees are to ensure that all research conducted is not only intelligent but also ethical, protecting public interests, and adhering to proper standards.
“At the regional level, the leadership and agenda set forth have led the Africa CDC to establish their regional headquarters for the Africa Center for Disease Control here in Abuja.
“The president has generously offered a building for this purpose, and you may have noticed the ACDC’s presence here. We have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to formalize this arrangement.”
