By Muhammad Amaan
The Federal government of Nigeria has unveiled the Health Sector Strategic Blueprint, 2024 – 2027, to reduce physical and financial pain and achieve better health outcomes for Nigerians.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate gave the indication on Monday at the first National Quarterly Health Sector Performance Dialogue with state commissioners of Health, in Abuja.
He emphasized the importance of cooperative federalism, as mandated by the National Health Act of 2014.
The minister said the initiative aimed to foster collaboration among all levels of government, the private sector, and development partners to improve health outcomes across Nigeria.
“On December 12, 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu unveiled the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, which saw all State Governors and the FCT sign a compact with the Federal Government. This agreement underscores a collective commitment to enhancing health services and outcomes for all Nigerians.”
“The initiative emphasizes accountability, with regular performance dialogues and evaluations to track progress. These sessions aim to keep stakeholders informed, identify areas needing improvement, and foster a culture of continuous learning and enhancement,” he said.
Prof. Pate highlighted the importance of using data to understand the effectiveness of current strategies and to make informed decisions about necessary improvements.
He said, “The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is committed to achieving, including improved immunization coverage, increased access to skilled birth attendants, enhanced antenatal care, and expanded health insurance and primary healthcare services.”
He encouraged states to monitor their progress against these indicators, stressing that the collective goal is to improve health outcomes for all Nigerians.
He expressed gratitude to development partners for their support, ensuring that resources are directed toward priority areas that will significantly benefit the population.
Prof Pate said the scorecards from of the six geopolitical zones showed that the South West recorded below 50 per cent for deliveries of skilled birth attendants in Nigeria.
The minister said that the South West zone recorded low turnout for the recommended antenatal visits for pregnant women, while South-South zone recorded low immunization for children in hard-to-reach communities.
Commissioners for health from the six geopolitical zones of the country also gave account of health outcomes in their areas.
Commissioner for Health in Rivers state, Dr. Adaeze Oreh representing the south south zone while Enugu state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ikechukwu Obi, spoke for South East zone, noted that while there had been improvement in skilled births, challenges remained with immunization for children.
Meanwhile, Kaduna State Commissioner for Health and Representative of North West Zone, Zainab Ahmed and the Commissioner for Health in Ogun state, Toyin Coker, representing South West Zone also explained that skilled births attendants dropped.
The Ministry maintained that the use of the district health information software would aid data gathering from health facilities and guide progress.
The event was attended by some State Commissioners, Director-General of the National Health Insurance Agency and Directors in the Ministry of Health.
