By Muhammad Amaan
The 65th National Council on Health (NCH) held at the Mohammad Indimi Centre for Distance Learning, University of Maiduguri, Borno State ended with adoption of critical policies and impactful resolutions aimed at addressing Nigeria’s healthcare challenges and advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
The presided over by the Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, brought together key stakeholders, policymakers, and global experts to chart a progressive path for the country’s health sector.
This was contained in a communique issued at end of the meeting and signed by Professor Pate and Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health, Daju Kachollum.
According to the communique, the meeting adopted key policies aimed at addressing workforce, nutrition, and maternal and child healthcare challenges in the country.
Some of the policies adopted includes; the National Policy on Health Workforce Migration 2024 – Aimed at addressing brain drain and retaining skilled health professionals.
There was also the Nigeria Health Workforce Profile 2022 – A data-driven tool for workforce planning and policy formulation.
The council also adopted the National Social and Behaviour Change Strategy for Nutrition, focus on promoting healthy dietary habits and reducing malnutrition.
It also adopted the Strategy Implementation Guide, targeting improved reproductive, maternal, and adolescent health outcomes.
The council adopted 58 memos and key resolutions, setting the tone for transformative action.
The resolutions were; “Institutionalising reward systems to incentivise state-level achievements in healthcare, and Integrating Gender-Based Violence (GBV) services into Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs).”
Other resolutions included, “Scaling up Rapid Epidemic Response Teams (RESMAT) nationwide for effective emergency response, and Establishing the National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System (NEMSAS) agency, with legislative advancements underway.”
There was also the resolution on strengthening field epidemiology training for sustainable disease surveillance.
Experts highlighted Nigeria’s commitment to addressing systemic challenges while building a resilient and sustainable health system.
Some stakeholders were optimistic that the initiatives would foster better health outcomes and ensure equity in healthcare delivery.
The council also announced that the 66th NCH will take place in Calabar, Cross River State, in 2025, continuing the tradition of collaboration and innovation in health policy formulation.
