Why state governments must invest in health workers- Minister

The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, has said state governments must invest in hiring more health workers if the country is to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030.

Mr Ehanire, while speaking at a press briefing to commemorate the 2023 World Health Day (WHD) in Abuja on Thursday, said the shortage of health workers is a barrier to the country’s vision of achieving UHC.

He said personnel budgets of health facilities should be spent on maintaining more numbers of frontline healthcare workers to improve quality and effective service delivery.

“I call on states in the country to remove their embargo on the employment of health workers and to invest in hiring more health workers which is a barrier to our vision of achieving universal health coverage and improved quality of care,” he said.

“I call on all concerned to ensure that more frontline health workers are recruited than others to ensure the substantial reduction in the shortage of health workers.”

WHD

World Health Day is celebrated on 7 April annually to draw attention to specific health topics of concern globally.

The theme of the WHD 2023 is “Health for All – Strengthening PHC to Build Resilient Systems,”. The day also coincides with World Health Workers Week which runs from 7 to 11 April with the theme “Investing in the Health Work Force”.

Health systems can only function with health workers; improving health service coverage and realising the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is dependent on their availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality.

The recent brain drain in Nigeria’s health sector has led to shortages of health workers in various facilities across the country.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates a projected shortfall of 10 million health workers by 2030, mostly in low- and lower-middle-income countries.

Investing in health workers

The WHO Country Representative in Nigeria, Walter Mulombo, said the brain drain ravaging the health sector will pose a great challenge to health service delivery.

Mr Mulombo said the WHO will be leading an initiative to train 25 per cent of nurses and midwives in 25 low-income countries by 2025. He said this is a contribution to the world and better well-being for all.

He said the international agency joins the call for more investment in human resources for health, by increasing pre-service training and implementing strategies to attract, retain and ensure optimal performance of highly motivated health workers in Nigeria.

“I join the government and other stakeholders to commend the efforts of health workers and all those working hard to keep us healthy,” he said.

He said the WHO is also celebrating its 75th anniversary.

“In 1948, countries around the world came together and founded  WHO to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable – so everyone, everywhere can attain the highest level of health and well-being,” he said.

“Working with 194 member-states across six regions and on the ground in more than 150 offices, WHO envisions a world where Health for All is realised.”

In her remarks, the Resident Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Ulla Mueller, said the theme for this year’s occasion is deeply concerning for UNFPA, which she said is driven by the goals of zero preventable maternal deaths, zero unmet need for Family Planning and zero Gender-Based Violence by 2030.

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Ms Mueller said globally, UNFPA is supporting health systems to provide quality sexual and reproductive health services that reach every person and accommodate diverse population groups, including people with disabilities.

“Our women die giving birth not only because health services are unavailable, inaccessible, unaffordable or of poor quality care, but also due to lack of or inadequate human resources at the PHC levels both in numbers and skills mix,” she said.

She noted that the COVID-19 pandemic not only showed this obvious void in health systems in Nigeria and around the world but also worsened it.

She calls for investment in Human Resources for Health (HRH) and overall human capital development in health.

Ms Mueller said this is equivalent to investing in sexual and reproductive health as an essential investment in sustainable development and in delivering a world where every woman, girl, and young person can live up to their full potential.

“This will complement the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development, with the global and national commitment to achieving universal health coverage and universal access to sexual and reproductive health,” she said.

She noted that the WHD is a reminder that innovative ideas and new ways of reimagining PHC with highly resourced HRH are sine qua non to ‘building back better.’

“We need a strengthened health system that is resilient, people-centered, and user-friendly with HRH adorned with warmth, compassion, and spirit of egalitarianism,” she added.