By Muhammad Amaan
Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate CON, will lead Nigeria’s official delegation to the 78th session of the World Health Assembly (WHA78) scheduled to take place in Geneva, Switzerland.
A statement issued by the Ministry’s Deputy Director Information and Public Relations, Mr Alaba Balogun, stated that the Nigerian delegation comprises of six senior officials from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, for the event which will take place from 19 to 27 May 2025.
Health Reporters Newspapers reports that, apart from the government delegation, representatives from across Nigeria’s health ecosystem including the private sector, development partners, and donor agencies will also participate in technical sessions and side events.
These engagements align with this year’s WHA theme, “One World for Health,” which underscores the importance of global solidarity in addressing shared health challenges and building resilient health systems.
Convened annually by the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Health Assembly serves as a premier platform for shaping international health policy and advancing global health priorities.
“Member States will deliberate on critical issues such as sustainable health financing, workforce development, and accelerating progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC) all of which are central to Nigeria’s ongoing health sector reforms.
“Nigeria’s participation is expected to provide valuable insights to inform policy review, planning, and implementation, while reinforcing alignment with global best practices.
“The delegation will engage in high-level discussions and contribute to agenda items of particular significance to Nigeria and the African region,” the statement said.
Mr Balogun added that the key topics Nigeria will engage with includes; Commitment to Sustainable Healthcare Financing, Strengthening Human Resources for Health, Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), including Diabetes and Nigeria’s Position Paper on Poliomyelitis Eradication.
Others are; Nigeria’s Position Paper on Universal Health Coverage (UHC), Nigeria’s Position Paper on Mental Health and Social Connection, Nigeria’s Position Paper on the Global Strategy for Cervical Cancer Elimination, Advancing Oral Health, Enhancing Local Production of Medicines and Health Technologies, Addressing Skin Diseases and Adverse Cosmetic Events
“As Nigeria advances implementation of the Health Sector Strategic Blueprint under the Renewed Hope Agenda, the outcomes of WHA78 are expected to strengthen evidence-based decision-making, deepen multilateral partnerships, and inform national strategies that enhance health security, equity, and service delivery,” the statement added.
