Coronavirus – Nigeria: Regional Director expresses help for Nigeria’s efforts to bolster well being companies

The World Well being Group (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, has underscored the Group’s dedication to help Nigeria’s efforts in reinforcing its well being system for higher entry to enough and high quality well being companies. Dr Moeti made the pledge throughout a go to to Africa’s most inhabitants nation from 20 to 25 February 2022.

Dr Moeti met with His Excellency, President Mohammadu Buhari, to debate stronger collaboration to help Nigeria. Among the many points raised was the necessity to increase vaccine entry and the uptake of immunization to strengthen the nation’s capability to struggle vaccine-preventable ailments, equivalent to vaccine-derived polio virus kind 2 (cVDPV2). The delegation that visited the president additionally reviewed progress in direction of assembly Nigeria’s immunization accountability framework indicators.

“I guarantee you that the Authorities of Nigeria will maintain and enhance our work on routine immunization efficiency; comprise outbreaks of the circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus, strengthen surveillance towards wild poliovirus and curb the unfold of the COVID-19 virus,’’ President Buhari mentioned.

Dr Moeti recommended Nigeria for sustaining the state funds to main well being care regardless of the COVID-19 response and acknowledged the far-reaching impression of Main Healthcare Centre (PHC revitalization on well being service provision and neighborhood growth. She emphasised the significance of reasonably priced well being infrastructure in addressing well being entry and high quality wants within the nation.

“I congratulate the federal government for guaranteeing that regardless of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nigeria has continued with the coverage of allocating 1% of consolidated income funds for main well being care via the Primary Well being Care Provision Funds, which holds the potential for altering the narrative in financing healthcare in Nigeria,” mentioned Dr Moeti. 

“We’re dedicated to supporting the federal government of Nigeria to strengthen its public well being system to make sure equitable entry to high quality well being companies, together with immunization programmes that are essential in safeguarding well being and defending lives. Because the continent’s most populous nation, Nigeria has a pivotal position in serving to to boost public well being requirements and practices for Africa,” mentioned Dr Moeti.

The Regional Director additionally held preliminary discussions with the Minister of Finance, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed, Minister of Well being, Dr Osagie Ehanire, in addition to management of the 5 Well being committees of the Nationwide Meeting to advocate acceptable financing for well being aimed to strengthen collaboration for well being safety and common well being protection in direction of decreasing incidence of poverty because of sickness. 

Dr Moeti additionally participated within the GAVI Alliance-Vast Excessive-Degree Mission. She additionally met with WHO Nigeria employees, whom she recommended on supporting the federal government in its bid to realize common well being protection. She mentioned the continued strategic repositioning to align with the WHO transformation agenda.  

This mission was Dr Moeti’s fourth to Nigeria and comes because the nation has launched into a mass vaccination marketing campaign towards COVID-19 to make sure that no less than 70% of the eligible inhabitants is totally vaccinated earlier than the tip of the 12 months.  

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Well being Group (WHO) – Nigeria.