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Tag: Isaac Adewole

  • Human resources, drugs, vaccines are critical – Adewole

    Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole has said that the issue of healthcare is beyond building facilities, saying the critical things that make up health system are human resources, commodities , drugs and vaccines.

    Adewole however noted that funding was critical to quality health system.

    The minister spoke recently at a medical conference and exhibition Organised by Media Trust in Abuja.

    To address the funding gap, the minister said  one of  the things that government has done to improve the country’s health  system is putting in place the Basic Health Care Provision Fund and appropriating N55 billion in the 2018 budget.

    He further noted that government targets improving primary healthcare services in the country and is putting measures in place so that for the first time, primary healthcare centres will get money  directly.

    According to him, 45% of the healthcare fund will be channelled  through the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), 20% to vaccine commodities  , 15 % for repairing facilities, water and electricity, and  10% for human resources.

    While enumerating the federal government’s achievements in repositioning cancer care and reducing maternal mortality among others, he said the Federal Ministry of Health under his watch was laying the foundation for an upgraded responsive healthcare delivery system.

    Read Also: Celebrating Adewole’s uncommon grace at 64

    “We are very confident that within the shortest possible time, we will begin to reap the fruits,” he added.

    Also, in his remark, the Former Minister of State for Health, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, advised healthcare workers to always give their best to patients in order to earn their trust and confidence to access treatment in the country.

    He stressed that  patients should be given quality from diagnosis , to treatment and should receive it  based on evidence.

    Pate who is also a Professor at the  Duke University’s Global Health Institute, United States of America, explained that trust was vital in the production of health and that users should have confidence that the system respects their rights.

    “There is need to engage the patients in the production of health. Health workers should not focus on themselves but on their clients,” he said.

    The former minister was of the opinion that when the patients experience competent care, it  would in turn lead to improved health outcomes, adding that it would also enable the populace to have confidence in the system and not travel out  for care.

    Chief  Operating Officer of Media Trust Limited , Abhay  Desai  said Nigeria has garnered quality facilities and medical personnel over the years that the citizenry can harness instead of  engaging in medical tourism.

    While saying that medical doctors in Nigeria are as good as anywhere else in the world , he said it was important for the country to celebrate its indigenous services and personnel.

    He said Media Trust organised the conference in collaboration with Prompt Health and other partners to create, a platform where stakeholders  could address the future of medical problems, issues in Nigeria and plan towards giving the country a 21stcentury healthcare service delivery.

    “To my understanding, what this means  is making health care available for all. Daily Trust is committed to making sure that we spread and let people know what is available in this country. We should start with Nigeria first and if required in worst cases, go to other places,” he added.

     

  • Nigeria population to increase by 68m with current fertility rate – Osinbajo

    Nigeria population will increase by additional 68 million by 2030 with the current prevailing growth rate, the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo has said.

    The Vice President who was speaking at the just concluded 5th National Family Planing conference in Abuja posited that with over 180 million population, the country’s fertility rate poses a problem.

    The Vice President who was represented by Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said “if Nigeria’s prevailing annual population growth rate 3.2 percent persists, we will have an additional 68 million people by 2030, and will be the third most populous country in the world by 2050.”

    He explained that apart from Federal Government’s economic policies aimed at making lives comfortable to the nation’s population, the administration is committed to making family planning commodities available to those who need them.

    The nation, he noted failed to plan for its future when it raked in fortunes from oil and other revenue sources in recent past.

    “In the absence of basic social safety nets, and pro-poor policymaking, tens of millions of our people were left stranded, observing the statistics of economic growth from a distance, completely untouched by it…The sad reality is that for most of our history as a country, periods of economic growth have somehow managed to leave out the majority of our population.

    “Between 2011 and 2015 when Nigeria enjoyed some of the highest revenues in history, and overtook South Africa to become the largest economy in Africa, there was no commensurate impact in poverty alleviation and improvement of wellbeing,” the Vice president said.

    Speaking on the theme of the conference: Investment, Innovation and Inclusiveness, he said: “This is how I see the three “I’s”: Investment, innovation and inclusiveness are three very critical keys for unlocking the very beneficial contributions of family planning to Nigeria’s ambition of reaping all of its potential demographic dividend.

    “This demographic dividend is of course the catch-all term for the benefits and potential realizable from attaining the optimal age structure in a population. In the case of Nigeria, this optimal age structure would mean a combination of declining fertility and a simultaneous rise in the working age population. Our main challenge, evidently, is with our current fertility rates.”

    Read Also: Osinbajo’s humility excites Lagos family

    He said investing in family planning has been proven to be smart, cost-effective, and life-saving; and is especially critical in a country like Nigeria with a very young and rapidly growing population.

    He added that estimated 63 percent of Nigeria’s population is below 25 years; with a significant segment of the population being sexually active and needing education and guidance to wisely navigate the issues of equality, choice and contraception.

    He argued further that achieving the SDGs and Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 depends significantly on how well sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and young people are prioritized.

    He said the nation must clearly insist on including young people at the very heart of its policies and its deployment of resources to achieve these policies.

    While urging participants at the conference to develop evidence-based approaches to population management, Osinbajo noted that time was no longer waiting for the nation. “We must act and move fast, because our challenges themselves are not simply sitting and waiting around to be solved. They are evolving and adapting in increasingly complicated forms, and our responses and solutions must keep up.

    “Family planning and population management generally are not just life-saving interventions but actually critical tools for economic and social development.”

    The three day conference has representatives of local and international organizations working on family planning, experts from medical field, government delegations among others.

  • Minister commends revamp of PHCs in Edo

    The Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, has commended the revamp of Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in Edo State, noting that such reforms will allow for proper referral system as a catalyst to develop the health system in the country.

    Adewole said this while delivering his keynote address at the 2018 Alagodaro Summit in Benin City, organised by Edo State Government to celebrate the second anniversary of the state Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki.

    He commended the Obaseki-led administration for focusing on health care, pledging the commitment of the federal government in ensuring that the state achieves her aim of having 200 primary health centres in the state by the year 2020.

    Adewole, while buttressing the importance of PHCs to the society, decried that their nonfunctional status has overstretched the general and teaching hospitals which are meant for complicated ailments.

    The health minister advised the state government that as it revamps the health centres, attention must also be given to preventive medicine, especially on provision of safe water in communities as well as sensitization on proper hygiene.

    According to him, “We spend a lot of money in curative treatment when our problem is at preventive state. We need to change the paradigm and put emphasis on preventive care, health education as well as improving our way of life.”

    He added that health care system must move beyond just care, and involve a comprehensive care.

    Read Also: Minister clears air on suspension of national carrier

    “PHC is closer to the people, and if properly invested in, it would provide care for 80 percent of the people while 10 percent would go to secondary and less than 10 percent would go to tertiary health care centres,” he said.

    The health minister said countries around the world that have recorded improvement in their socio-economic sectors are those that have improved their health indicators.

    He commended the Obaseki-led administration for investing in the health sector, assuring him that the return on investment for the health care would be huge.

    Adewole also drew attention to the population explosion in the country especially as majority of the population falls below the working age.

    The minister congratulated the state for having the highest rate of skilled birth attendant which he said has reduced maternal and infant deaths.

  • Suspended NHIS Boss drags Ministers, NHIS to court

    Professor Usman Yusuf, the embattled Executive Secretary, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), has dragged two ministers and NHIS to a Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging his suspension from office.

    In the suit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/1220/2018, Yusuf instituted legal action against the Honourable Minister of Health, and Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice as well as the NHIS.

    The six-page summons was filed by Chief Uchechukwu Obi (SAN) of Alliance Law Firm, Abuja, on behalf of the plaintiff.

    According to the document made available to the News agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja, the respondents are expected to cause appearance within 21 days after the service of the summons on them, inclusive of the day of service.

    The summons read in part thus: “The plaintiff prayed whether the Governing Council of the NHIS has the powers under the provision of the NHIS Act, particularly Sections 6 and 7 of the Act, to suspend or remove from office the plaintiff who was appointed by the President.

    “Whether the Governing Council of NHIS has the powers under the provision of NHIS Act to discipline the plaintiff or to investigate allegations made against him as purported by their internal memorandum dated Oct.19, 2018.

    “Whether the Hon. Minister of Health under the NHIS Act Section 47 of the Act is equipped with the statutory powers to authorise the suspension from office of the ES of NHIS without the approval of the President.

    “Whether the decision of the Governing Council to suspend the ES of the NHIS taken by 4 out of 11 members of the Council can be said to be a decision of the council in accordance with the NHIS Act.

    Read Also: Buhari orders NHIS boss to proceed on administrative leave

    “Whether the Governing Council can appoint the General Manager, Legal Department, or any other employee of the scheme to oversee the affairs of the scheme in acting capacity without the approval of the President,’’ among others.

    Yusuf therefore prayed the court to determine all the aforementioned questions in his favour and consequently sought for the following reliefs:

    “A declaration that the Governing Council of NHIS lacks powers under the provisions of the NHIS Act to suspend or remove the plaintiff who was appointed by the President for a five year term.

    “A declaration that the members of the council lacks the powers under the provision of the NHIS Act to discipline, or set up the machinery to discipline the plaintiff or investigate allegations made against him as purported by the internal memorandum dated October 19.

    “A declaration that the internal memorandum dated October 19 which was purportedly issued by the council and signed on their behalf by its Chairman in which it purported to have suspended the plaintiff as the ES of NHIS is ultra Vires, null and void and of no effect.

    “An order of court setting aside and cancelling the purported suspension of the plaintiff from office as the ES of NHIS.

    “An order of court reinstating the plaintiff as the ES of the NHIS.

    “An order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, their members, servants, employees, agents, officers or any person from disturbing, obstructing the plaintiff from carrying on his official duties as the ES of the NHIS,’’ among others.

    A copy of the summons was stamped received by the NHIS head office in Abuja on Oct. 30.

    The case is yet to be assigned for date for mention to be fixed.

    News Agency Of Nigeria recalls that Yusuf was first suspended by the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, on July 6, 2017, over alleged maladministration, but was recalled by the Presidency on Feb. 6, 2018.

    Again, the Governing Council of NHIS led by Mrs Ifenne Enyanatu, later slammed an indefinite suspension on Yusuf on Oct. 18 over similar allegations of fraud.

    The latest action prompted the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, to advise members of boards and governing councils at a retreat that they do not have powers to suspend or meet disciplinary actions on chief executives without recourse to due diligence.

    On Tuesday (Oct. 31), the Presidency asked Yusuf to proceed on administrative leave to allow unfettered investigations of the allegations leveled against him.

    It appointed Mr Ben Omogo, Director, Administration Office in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of Federation to oversee the affairs of the scheme.

    The government also instituted a 7-man panel led by Dr Hassan Bukar, and Mrs Jummai Idako from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation as Secretary, to probe and report their findings within two weeks for appropriate action.

  • NHIS Crisis: Presidency orders due process

    A Presidential spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, says the presidency has stepped into the crisis rocking the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) following the purported suspension of its Executive Secretary, Prof. Usman Yusuf.

    The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that the Governing Council of the NHIS had on Oct. 18 suspended Yusuf over alleged gross misconduct.

    But, Yusuf resumed work on Friday, a day after his fresh suspension by the council.
    Some workers acting under the aegis of Association of Civil Servants of Nigeria, and Medical and Health Workers Union of NHIS, almost prevented him from gaining entrance to the office on Monday.

    Their colleagues of the Nigeria Civil Service Union in support of Yusuf mobilised themselves and countered the protest.

    The situation that almost degenerated into security breach was however contained with the intervention of a combined team of police, civil defence and state security operatives.

    However, the presidential aide, who featured on Channels TV Sunrise Daily on Tuesday in Abuja, said Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, and the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, had intervened in the NHIS crisis with a view to finding lasting solutions.

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    Shehu, who is the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, noted with regret that the NHIS crisis had been ethnicised and politicised by some interest groups within and outside the agency.

    “Did the board follow due process in suspending this gentleman? There are opinions that said `no they haven’t’.

    “Again we all have to do the right thing all of the times. I don’t deny the fact that there is a lot of work to do – (the crisis) is complicated by the fact that the whole thing about the NHIS has been ethnicised and politicised.

    “Even a political party was issuing a statement on matters that are unknown to it.

    “I’ll tell you one thing, as we speak now, you know that no matter whatever mistakes this gentleman may have made, and that is to be proven because I don’t have the records to say yes or no, he has launched a major reform in that institution which had blocked access to public resources.

    “Money from the NHIS is not money belonging to government, is money taken from your salary, from my salary.

    “If we have been enlisted, we are supposed to get treatments when we fall ill then you should ask the question in 13 years of the NHIS how many Nigerians have received the treatments.

    “Yet you have HMOs, these vendors, taking N5 billion every month, money that is just being shared and somebody came and said, `look, this can’t go on’ and with strong support from this administration the N5 billion has been reduced to N1.3 billion.

    “And even at then, the administration is not satisfied. We want to see healthcare delivered to the citizens of this country. So there is a lot of work to do,’’ he said.

    The presidential aide stated that he was not in the position to challenge the allegations of wrong doings levelled against the executive secretary in some quarters.

    Shehu, however, maintained that the two chambers of the National Assembly had previously cleared the Executive Secretary of the allegations against him.

    He also dismissed the accusation of `double standard’ by the Buhari administration while dealing with cases of corruption being levelled against public servants or political office holders in the country.

    He said it was wrong to compare the case of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Babachir Lawal, and that of the NHIS scribe.

    “Well, there is no double standard there either than to say that the pictures that the government is looking at many Nigerians perhaps may not be seeing those pictures,’’ he added.

    NAN also recalls that the minister of health (Adewole) had earlier suspended Yusuf over similar allegations on July 6, 2017.

    But the Federal Government reinstated him on Feb. 6, 2018, after an administrative panel found him not guilty of the allegations of abuse of office and maladministration.

    Yusuf officially resumed work on Feb. 8, 2018, after he was given the clean bill.

    Shehu, who also spoke extensively on the security efforts of the federal government in combating the menace of Boko Haram insurgency, said Nigeria had earned international commendations for suppressing the terrorist group.

  • Nigeria’s healthcare set for transformation with Philips Lumify

    Lumify, a new medical device which delivers ultrasound technology to healthcare providers and their patients and offers high-quality imaging on a compatible smart device through a subscription model, has been launched.

    The product, designed for emergency departments in the hospitals, urgent care centres and other clinical settings, operates from a compatible smart device connected to an ultrasound transducer produced by Royal Philips It is part of Philips App-based ultrasound ecosystem, which is an open innovation platform, aimed at delivering the benefits of ultrasound early in the health continuum and expands access among healthcare providers. It can help healthcare providers guide diagnosis, treatment and management in ways which ultrasound is not currently used

    The product, which was launched at the just concluded 2018 Medic West Africa Exhibition and Conference in Lagos, had in attendance the Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole, who said its adoption in the rural areas will go a long way in mitigating the effects of unavailability of the ultrasound machines.

    The Minister, who witnessed the demonstration of the device at the Philips stand, commended the company for the launch of the device in Nigeria. He also lauded the company’s initiatives in the promotion of health care in the country. He then sought its deployment in the rural areas and semi-urban sites of the nation.

    The device in the words of its makers, is a solution to emergency workers in times of natural disasters, and a huge help to the rural communities where health workers and midwives still rely on over spent equipment to decipher the ailment that the app will reveal through quality imagery in an instant, while information is also relayed to others in faraway places.

    Philips Africa Chief Executive Officer, Jasper Westerink said: “Lumify is designed for emergency departments and urgent care centres, as well as other clinical settings, and will operate from a compatible smart device connected to a Philips ultrasound transducer. Users will also have access to an online portal where they can manage their device and access Philips’ support, training and IT services.

    According to him, the app was “designed to drive transformation in care delivery and digital health. “Lumify’s unique combination of connectivity, simplicity, portability, and flexibility enables clinicians to perform ultrasound examinations across a variety of clinical settings, from cardiology suites down to under-resourced semi-urban and rural area,” he said.

    Westerink, who was represented at the product demonstration by Philips Ultrasound Business Marketing Manager, Anari de Wet, said the first-generation Lumify transducer is now commercially available across East Africa. The device, L12-4 transducer, Westerink said, supports a variety of clinical applications, including soft tissue, musculo skeletal, lung and vascular scanning. The C5-2 offers abdominal with lung and gallbladder pre-sets and Ob/Gym capabilities whereas the newest transducer, the S4-1, has pre-sets for cardiac and FAST examinations with all the applications and services available through Philips new app-based portal.

    “Cloud-enabled and tablet technology allows Lumify to offer users vast connectivity, flexibility and mobility. As a customised app based solution, it is designed to seamlessly integrate with patient profiles and a health system’s equipment, using cloud enabled technology,” Westerink said, adding:

    “The system being powered by Innovative Imaging Technologies’ (IIT’s) Reacts, a collaborative platform, is one that transforms the whole process as it connects clinicians around the globe in real time by turning a compatible smart device into an integrated tele-ultrasound solution, combining two way audio-visual calls with live ultrasound streaming.

    This additional innovation brings endless possibilities to its users both inside and outside hospital walls.” According to Westerink, it means that Lumify with Reacts, brings experts into an ultrasound examinations no matter the distance, thus allowing a midwife in a remote location to call upon an obstetrician to provide perspective and guidance as though they were in the same room.

    Manager, BT Health and Diagnostic Centre, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Dr Wale Olusanya, said the versatility, portability, and safety of point of care ultrasound, made the device one of the most widely used first-line diagnostic tools.

    According to him, Lumify can strengthen referral pathways, affording quick diagnosis in emergency departments in major towns, or with time in more remote areas, improving patient outcomes.

    Philips Healthcare West Africa Business Development Manager, George Uduku said there is an ongoing discussion with the Minister of Health to see to the deployment of the device in government hospitals as it was well received from the discussions held so far.

    Uduku said early adopters of the device are largely going to be the private hospitals and due to control. The product, according to him, is being sold for now, by their two partners in the country, one in Lagos and the other in Abuja.

    Qualified personnel, he said, will be given the requisite training on its usage before being sold to them and the government’s posture will also determine the lot of the device, as responses gotten so far on Lumify have shown that the device will greatly improve lives in the country.

  • How to prevent diarrhea, by minister

    …Over 2000 pupils gather for symbolic hand wash relay in Abuja

     

    Over 2000 school children gathered in Abuja for the symbolic hand wash relay in Abuja as part of the 2018 Global Handwashing Day celebration.

    The 15 of October has been adopted as global Handwashing Day.

    The over 2,000 school children were drawn from 7 public and private schools which have benefited from Dettol’s School Hygiene Programme across 4 Local Governments in the FCT.

    The symbolic hand-wash relay was held at L.E.A Model Primary School, Maitama, Abuja, where Dettol also donated 12 hand washing stations to help facilitate and maintain the habit of proper handwashing by the school children.

    Speaking at the occasion, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole noted that handwashing is one of the most effective means of preventing diarrhea.

    Adewole also stressed that improved handwashing can make major impact in public health as it helps in halting the transmission of diseases.

    Besides, the minister who was represented by Mr. Fubara Chuku, National Coordinator Food Safety and Quality Programme also posited that Handwashing can be more effective than vaccines.

    He stated further that the habit must be promoted if the country is to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (6).

    The minister also harped on the need to stress the importance of the habit because of its great impact on general wellbeing.

    He therefore commended the Dettol for its impacting on the children the culture of handwashing.

    Also, Speaking on Dettol’s 2018 Global Handwashing Day activities, the General Manager, RB West Africa, Mr. Dayanand Sriram, called on all Nigerians to imbibe the habit of handwashing as a day-to-day activity.

    He stressed that handwashing practice will reduce the incidence of communicable diseases by 59% according to recent findings of the World Health Organisation.

    He said, “Dettol has been the trusted champion for good health and hygiene for over 50 years in Nigeria, and we believe that it is important to inculcate good habits such as proper handwashing at an early age. A simple act of washing hands with soap can prevent illnesses and arrest diarrhoea related deaths. This is why we are continuing with the tradition of driving habit change, and provision of needed infrastructure.

    “Over the past years, Dettol has provided handwashing sites and educated over 7 million children, parents and teachers about the importance of handwashing through the School Hygiene Program, which is a mass education program about proper handwashing and hygiene habits,” he added.

    Read Also: Cholera: Kano confirms 28 deaths, 400 cases of Diarrhea

    Dettol has been running health and hygiene programmes across Nigeria where new mothers are educated from pregnancy to the birth of the child on healthy hygiene habits across various milestones of their newborn’s life. Over 1 million mothers are engaged every year through the programme in public hospitals and clinics across Nigeria.

    It has also been promoting good hygiene practices amongst millions of Nigerians especially children in the last eight years, through regular school outreaches and its School Hygiene Programme. Dettol has also executed various activities promoting healthy lifestyle such as donation of hand wash sites to schools, organizing workshops for nursing mothers and partnering with the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) among others.

    Present at the Abuja handwashing event were Mrs. Jumai Muhammed, Director, Child Development, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, representing Minister Of Women Affairs, representing the Honorable Minister of Health, Katherine Arron Rengkwar, Headmistress of L.E.A Model Primary School, Maitama, Abuja, and senior executives of RB West Africa.

     

  • We need creative ways of tackling poverty-Osinbajo

    The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, says the Federal Government is focusing on more creative ways of getting Nigerians out of poverty and also improve the country’s Human Capital Development indices.

    Osinbajo made this known while chairing a meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC ), Steering Committee on Human Capital Development on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He said that the Federal Government was committed to lifting Nigerians out of poverty as a crucial agenda towards attaining intended development outcomes.

    “Poverty as we know is both a cause and consequence of some of what we are looking at in our human capital development deficit.

    “Really, I think we need to focus a lot more on some of the more creative ways of getting our people out of poverty.

    “ And of course, we have some social investment programs, we are looking at some of the examples of what India did, some have been tried and tested in such huge populations.

    “I think there is a need for us to sensitize our people to why we need to get a large segment of our people out of poverty. Recently, we have been launching the TraderMoni scheme, which is basically giving credits to petty traders across the country in the markets and all that.

    “We must do even more in terms of giving credits and whatever assistance and support to people.

    “Obviously, the more money people have, the better it is for them, so they can apply their little resources to some of what we are expected to do to improve human capital development,” he said.

    Osinbajo harped on the importance of improving data collection at all levels so as to ensure effective tracking of Human Capital Development outcome areas in the states.

    On his part, Aliko Dangote, President, Dangote Group, told State House correspondents that the Dangote Foundation was committing 50 million dollars to the fight against malnutrition in Nigeria.

    Dangote said that the foundation was focused on three major areas-health, education and empowerment.

    Read Also: Group demands Oshiomole’s resignation, Buhari to call Osinbajo to order

    “I think we really need to wake up and meet most of our development goals, in education, in health, and also in empowerment.

    “One of the things that we are doing is to make sure that we tackle malnutrition.

    “The Dangote Foundation has announced a decision to spend 50 million dollars so that we can fight malnutrition in most of the states that are affected, which we have started rolling out,” he said.

    He said that the foundation joined the committee to make sure that targets were set and met.

    On his part, Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, said that the committee was the working group that had been meeting to look at the impact of government intervention programs in economy, education, health, among others.

    “The issue of Human Capital Development is a measure of how we care for our citizens; and so, this is like bringing everybody to the table at the highest level.

    “We have the governors, and there is a renewed commitment even at the states because we cannot go far except the states are really on the table.

    “There is enough Federal Government commitment; enough of Federal Government involvement, but we need to bring the states on board,’’ he said.

    Speaking, Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, said that the committee received a presentation on the framework for further investments in the key areas of health, education, social inclusion as well as empowerment.

    “We had a very good meeting and we hope that the outcome of the meeting and the work of the core working group will bring out very clear plans and strategies to invest more in education, healthcare, nutrition, empowerment, gender inclusion, as well as job creation for our young people,’’ he said.

    The meeting was also attended by the  Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige and the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Sen. Udoma Udo Udoma, .

    There were also representations from development partners- World Bank, DFID and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

  • ‘Religious leaders have roles in implementation of policies’

    …says We must build economy that ‘ll support growing population

    The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has said that the religious leaders have a role to play in the implementation of development policies and programmes.

    Osinbajo stressed the need for the country to take full benefit of its population which is estimated to be around 192 million.

    The Vice President who spoke on Thursday in Abuja at a programme on Harnessing Demographic Dividends for Sustainable Development in Nigeria, “The Role of Muslim Religious Leaders”.

    The two-day programme was put together by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in collaboration with National Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs. About 200 Islamic religious leaders from across the country is expected to converge at the forum.

    The overall objective of the forum is to enhance the capacity of religious leaders to advocate for policies and programmes towards harnessing DD in Nigeria.

    In his key note address, Osinbajo explained that demographic dividends could be harnessed if appropriate and timely actions are put in place.

    To avoid the time bomb scenario as a result of population explosion, Osinbajo called for urgent steps by all stakeholders.

    He said: “To avoid the time-bomb scenario, we must act with urgency to build an economy that can support that population, provide jobs and economic opportunity, education and healthcare, hope and optimism.

    “The successful implementation of the Road Map requires all-inclusive and robust stakeholders’ engagements/participation such that this Consultative Forum offers and we have seen already that there are several ideas that we need internalize, several policy measures that we need to understand in order to better inform the various publics that we influence.

    “Relevant demographics show the prospects and potentials of a prosperous future for Nigeria, if appropriate and timely actions are in place. Nigeria’s population size is currently estimated at over 198 million, the largest in Africa.

    “About 63 percent of the population is under the age of 25 years, 33 percent between 10 and 24, and 54.8 percent of working age (15-64). 51 percent of the female population are in their reproductive ages (ages 15-49).

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    And it is estimated that by 2050 Nigeria will be the 3rd most populous country in the world, after India and China.

    Of course, the reverse side of Nigeria’s rich demographic potential, is the much-talked-about ‘population time bomb,’ or as some would say demographic threats.

    “Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has remained high over the last three decades and currently stand at 5.5 births per woman; modern Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPRm) is very low at 10 percent with 16 percent unmet need for Family Planning (FP). Twenty-three percent of our adolescents (ages 15-19 years) have commenced childbearing and Child Marriage still persists at 18 percent.

    “These figures vary across the North and the South, for example, Total Fertility Rate is lowest in the South West (4.5) and highest in the North East (6.3) and North West (6.7), respectively with Bauchi at 8.1 and Sokoto at 7.0.

    &In effect the gaining an economic advantage from our population size and make up involves a national consensus around some ideas. The first is that the resources of families and of countries are finite. They are not limitless. So it is the business of heads of families at the micro level and governments at the macro level to prioritize the education and health of their families, but in so doing recognize that we can invest more per child with more deliberate planning. ”

    He also added, “The truth of the matter is that the work of ensuring that a large population a significant proportion of which is poor, the working of getting that population out of poverty is a daily and a deliberate work. It is one that involves planning, commitment and managing the resources ins such a way that everyone benefits from it, it is one that requires fiscal discipline.”

    He also outlined what the government has being doing to removing the majority from poverty,which include the N-power programme amongst others.

    On the role of religious leaders, he said “You play very vital roles in the social, cultural and economic lives of the people. You shape attitudes, opinions and behaviors of large numbers of our people, and there is no real progress or transformation that can happen in any society and our society without your participation, involvement or endorsement.

    “More than ever before you are needed as voices of change, in everything from improving maternal, newborn and child health in Nigeria, to encouraging investment in education, particularly of women and girls, educating citizens on the importance of family planning for births spacing, and advocating against early/child marriage.

    “Very importantly, you also have a responsibility to hold governments to account, especially holding government to account in managing the resources faithfully and not stealing the resources of the country, and ensuring that the resources go round and met the needs of the people, at all levels – local, State and Federal.

    On his part, the minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole said “Our approach to engage Muslim religious leaders, faith-based and community leaders to promote and facilitate the dialogue on Roadmap to harnessing Nigeria’s demographic dividend, SRH and gender equality, responsible fertility and the empowerment of young people at all levels is consistent with the broader strategy to ensure Nigeria harnesses the dividend of a demographic transition.

    “Available data indicates that working with religious leaders to improve maternal, new born and child healthis an important cost effective and sustainable strategy in disseminating MNCH information across a large population and is critical to persuading communities to change established behaviour and attitudes. Other evidences abound of tested interventions on the role of Religious Leaders in Nigeria that has led to improved perception on family planning and improved spousal communication.

    “To this end, the Nigerian government through the Federal Ministry of Health and in collaboration with UNFPA and numerous other partners is calling on all Religious Leaders to help in making the changes that would translate into positive contributions to Nigeria’s economic development through investment in Youths and Young people that will fast track our harnessing the Demographic Dividend.”

    He therefore assured the religious leaders of the support of the Ministry’ of Health.

  • Cervical Cancer: Ministry to acquire Mobile Treatment Machines

    In an effort to eliminate cervical cancer in Nigeria, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole has said that his ministry would procure mobile solution treatment machines and distribute to the 774 Local Government Councils in Nigeria.

    The Ministry would also purchase the bigger size of the machines to distribute to the Federal Tertiary Hospitals across the country.

    The Minister made this revelation while meeting with General Manager, WISAP Medical Technology, Stephan Hilgers, the industry that produces the mobile solution treatment machines based in Germany.

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    The Minister said that Federal Government in her nationwide campaign to eliminate cervical cancer, using the mobile treatment machines could serve as one of the key strategies to achieve the goals.

    “What we want is at least one per local government, that is 774, if we make it 1000 is appropriate because we need to scale it up.”

    Minister of health
    Hon. Minister of Health Prof. Isaac Adewole holding the mobile cervical cancer mobile treatment machine

    He said the procurement would be in batches, the Ministry would purchase some this year while the rest would be purchased in 2019.

    “We would look at our budget, in 2018 we can buy some and then we buy the remaining in 2019,” Adewole said.

    He said the Ministry would work in partnership with WISAP Medical Technology to train the staff that would handle the machines.

    Earlier, the General Manager, WISAP Medical Technology Stephan Hilgers demonstrated to the officers of the Federal Ministry of Health how the Machine works.

    He said the machine was very effective in the treatment of cervical cancer. It is mobile and uses rechargeable battery that could be more useful in rural areas.