The World Health Organization (WHO) has underscored the crucial role of collaborative strategies in building an inclusive and resilient healthcare system in Nigeria.
Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo, the WHO Representative in Nigeria, made this statement during the 64th National Council on Health (NCH) in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State. Mulombo highlighted the NCH’s unique platform as a space for federal and state leaders, along with partners, to collaboratively assess, co-create, and make significant decisions on health matters.
Mulombo mentioned that the sub-themes of the NCH intensify discussions and fine-tune critical health issues that require collective attention. He commended Nigeria’s emphasis on primary healthcare and health financing as key drivers toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
While acknowledging the challenges, including high out-of-pocket expenditures and the complex landscape of diseases, Mulombo called for a transformative shift from conceptualization to actionable results in alignment with international commitments.
In another development, the Oyo State Government has initiated a sensitization campaign against five priority diseases: Lassa Fever, COVID-19, Diphtheria, Cholera, and Anthrax. Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, the Commissioner for Health, flagged off the community sensitization program in Okeho, the headquarters of Kajola Local Council. The campaign is set to take place in various communities across the state, focusing on 10 councils in Oke-Ogun and markets in the capital city, Ibadan.
Commissioner Ajetunmobi emphasized that the five priority diseases are preventable with a clean environment, clean water sources, healthy eating habits, adherence to a balanced diet, and proper waste disposal systems. The sensitization campaign aims to raise awareness and promote preventive measures against these diseases.
Dr. Mulombo, in reaffirming WHO’s commitment, aligned the organization’s efforts with the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration. He suggested exploring innovative approaches for continuous engagement between the Federal Ministry of Health and various state governments to enhance performance tracking and the effective implementation of council resolutions.
