By Hassan Zaggi
The Special Adviser to the President on Health, Dr. Salma-Anas Ibrahim, has disclosed that the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Government will leverage on the expertise and resources of the private sector to improve access to basic healthcare services by all Nigerians.
She disclosed this at a dinner organized in her honour by the Southern Borno Stakeholders Forum, in Abuja, weekend.
To achieve this, she said, the federal government has concluded plans to collaborate with the private sector through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) to ensure that all Nigerians have unhindered access to affordable and qualitative health care services.
“By leveraging the expertise and resources of the private sector it would improve access to basic healthcare services for Nigerians,” she added.
She reiterated that the President Tinubu-led administration is passionate about the welfare and wellbeing of women and children in the country.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is very passionate about the health of all Nigerians, hence, upgraded me to be his Special Adviser, therefore, my passion for improving access to quality Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child Adolescent, and Elderly Health plus Nutrition (RMNCAEH+N) services, including sexual and reproductive rights, as well as gender-based violence will continue,” she stressed.
According to Dr. Salma, President Tinubu’ Renewed Hope Agenda is aimed at achieving health for all through an efficient Universal Health Coverage (UHC) system.
Speaking, the Coordinator, Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN), Dr. Aminu Magashi, commended the President for establishing the Office of the Special Adviser on Health, which, according to him, is a paradigm shift.
He, therefore, called on the Special Adviser to use her office to “strengthen the health security agenda in Nigeria by working and coordinating with the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare and other agencies and parastatals including the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and all development partners, Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and the media.”
He called on President Tinubu to fully fund and implement the National Action Plan for Health Security when finalized and approved.
“We should also remember that the country is in the process to finalise the National Action Plan for Health Security, we also call on Mr. President through the Office of the Special Adviser on Health to fully fund and implement that action plan so that Nigerians will benefit from preventing and controlling outbreaks of diseases which are the happening of the day.”
Dr. Magashi further called on the federal government to muscle the political will to implement the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), stressing that: “We should also remember the BHCPF also require full commitment, political will, full implementation and full release and also efficient and accountable utilization.”
The event witnessed the presentation of an award to Dr. Salama-Anas Ibrahim by the Southern Borno Stakeholders Forum.
