We will increase health financing, promote industrialisation

Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima has reiterated the new administration’s commitment to increase domestic health financing, promote health industrialisation, and improve health outcomes in the country.

Mr Shettima made this known when a delegation from the Global Health Partners – the Global Fund, US President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), and the US President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) paid him a courtesy visit at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday.

According to a statement signed by the Director of Information, Office of the Vice President, Olusola Abiola, Mr Shettima restated the commitment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to reposition the country’s healthcare system.

“These are three major commitments I am making on behalf of my boss and be rest assured that our word is our bond. I want to assure you that we are determined to catapult the nation to a higher pedestal,” he said.

“We are committed to changing the narrative of inclusive growth, of a Nigeria where every black man will be proud of.”

He noted that the president is a man of vision and that he has the courage to follow through whatever he believes in.

“From the appointment of the Minister of Health, there is a clear testimony to the drive, the political commitment of the President and the current leadership towards repositioning the nation,” he added.

Mr Shettima urged the global health partners and other stakeholders in the health sector to support the new leadership to actualise the president’s vision for all Nigerians.

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Improved health system

In his remarks, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, said the visit of the global health partners was to take stock of the progress made so far in the fight against HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis (TB), among others.

Mr Pate said the visit also symbolises the confidence and alignment the global partners have around the vision of Nigeria’s president and his desire to transform the health system to improve the health and well-being of the citizens.

He said the global partners committed almost $2 billion in grant financing for the health of Nigerians for the next three years.

“That is a remarkable commitment which shows they are confident of the vision of our President and the approach that he has now taken to deliver along with state governments and local governments,” he said.

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“And all Nigerians, we need to join hands together so that we can move the health sector forward as a basis for transforming our population to be very productive and to achieve the prosperity that is certainly in our future.”

Mr Pate said there are also plans to retrain 120,000 frontline health workers over the next 12 to 18 months.

He said these workers will be trained to serve the population at the grassroots to boost primary healthcare system.

“We are working with state governors and local governments. That is an important contribution to make Nigeria’s healthcare system more resilient to deliver on HIV, TB, and importantly on malaria because malaria affects our people,” he said.

Partnership, support

On his part, the US Global AIDS Coordinator, John Nkengasong, said the visit which coincided with the commemoration of the US Government’s 20 years of support to Nigeria’s fight against HIV/AIDS through the PEPFAR initiative, has provided opportunity for the partners to appreciate the vision and direction of the Tinubu administration for the health sector.

Mr Nkengasong noted that the health minister’s clarity of vision and commitment to building an inclusive health system for the country would help the partners align their goals and targets in the various interventions.

In separate remarks, Peter Sands of the Global Fund, and David Walton of the U.S President’s Malaria Initiative, commended the Nigerian government for its efforts towards combating Malaria, HIV/AIDS, and TB.

Other dignitaries at the meeting were the Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Gambo Aliyu; US Consul General in Lagos, Will Stevens, and the WHO Country Representative, Walter Mulombo, among others.