By Muhammad Amaan
The World Health Organization (WHO) has reaffirmed its commitment to Nigeria’s health sector transformation, presenting its 2026–2027 Programme Budget workplan with a strong focus on primary health care, universal health coverage, and system-wide reforms.
WHO Country Representative, Dr Pavel Ursu, formally presented the plan to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, underscoring alignment with the Federal Government’s Nigeria Health Sector Reform and Investment Initiative.
The workplan is structured to support Nigeria’s adoption of a Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp), ensuring coordinated investments and harmonised interventions across the health system. It is also aligned with WHO’s Country Cooperation Strategy and the global programme of work (GPW14), reinforcing Nigeria’s long-term health priorities.
Key areas of focus in the plan include strengthening primary health care delivery, advancing universal health coverage (UHC), scaling up immunisation programmes, improving health security, promoting equity in access to services, and expanding digital health systems.
Dr Ursu noted that WHO would provide quarterly performance updates on the implementation of the workplan, a move aimed at enhancing transparency, government ownership, and accountability in the health sector.
Discussions during the meeting also covered Nigeria’s participation in the upcoming 79th World Health Assembly (WHA79), strategies to improve health programme delivery at subnational levels, and preparations for the June 2026 Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) meeting scheduled to hold in Abuja.
Prof Pate welcomed the continued partnership with WHO, emphasising the importance of coordinated action and sustained investment in achieving improved health outcomes for Nigerians.
