By Hassan Zaggi
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is determined to leave a legacy of a Primary Health Care (PHC) system that is more resilient, committed to addressing existing challenges of inadequate and inequitable distribution, inadequate infrastructure, obsolete and inadequate equipment, inadequate and poorly skilled human resources among others
The Special Adviser to the President on Health, Dr Salma Anas Ibrahim, disclosed this at the 7th Annual Conference of the Association of Nigeria Health Journalists (ANHEJ), in Akwanga, Nasarawa State.
The conference was organised by ANHEJ in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) Nigeria office.
She reiterated that a strong PHC system is recognized as not only necessary for delivery of UHC, but also for optimal disease surveillance and epidemic response.
According to her: “We recognize that where disease surveillance and epidemic response efforts are integrated into the PHC system, the health system is better able to respond to outbreaks in a more organized and sustainable manner.
“The Renewed Hope Health Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to promoting a comprehensive and integrated health service delivery system, where the three levels of the health system – primary, secondary and tertiary care levels work together in synergy providing a continuum of care for people presenting with different health conditions.
“For example, whereas we have commitments to strengthen PHC as the bedrock of our health system, our analysis shows that a significant proportion of maternal deaths happen at the secondary healthcare facilities, which are expected to provide Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (CEmONC) following complications at the PHC level. “
The Tinubu-led administration, she noted, believes strongly in the possibility of the Renewed Hope Health Agenda as well as the 4- Point Agenda and Strategic Blueprint developed by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare to actualize the implementation of UHC towards the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and its targets with the right mindset, political and professional commitments and engagement of all stakeholders including the entire citizens.
Dr. Salma further explained that: “Overall, these highlight approaches to the delivery would provide mechanisms that would scale up coverage, improve quality of care and desirable health outcomes for mothers and children.
“The need for innovative approaches to address key health systems challenges that can meaningfully contribute in the improvement to the slow progress that Nigeria is making towards achieving the SDGs. “This will include reviewing the implementation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) programme redesigned for greater effectiveness in scaling up our efforts towards attaining UHC including coverage for maternal, newborn and child health services and many others.”
Also speaking, the Founder of the Vaccine Network for Disease Control (VNDC), Mrs Chika Offor, charged journalists to put more efforts in advocating for the uptake of vaccine, hence, countering vaccine hesitancy.
Mrs Offor, who is also the Acting Chairperson of the Health Sector Reform Coalition (HSRC), said that their role of the journalists in disseminating accurate and reliable information was crucial in ensuring the success of vaccination campaigns and protecting public health
She noted that the VNDC aimed to address key health challenges faced by children and women in the country, such as vaccine-preventable diseases and maternal health issues.
“Trust in vaccines and public health authorities is crucial for successful vaccination campaigns of any nation. ANHEJ can contribute to building trust by reporting on the rigorous scientific process behind vaccine development, testing, and approval.
“ANHEJ can also highlight the positive impact of vaccines on public health, sharing success stories and real-life examples of how vaccines have saved lives and prevented diseases,” she said.
