From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Health Commissioners from the 36 states of Nigeria and the Mandate Secretary of Health, FCT, have proposed a stronger synergy with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), to respond to emerging public health threats in Nigeria with reference to the recent outbreak of Cholera, Monkeypox and several others.
This was contained in a communique issued at the end of the 3rd Quarterly Meeting of the Nigeria Health Commissioners Forum (NHCF) organized by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) in Abuja, at the weekend.
NHCF Chairman, Dr. Filani Oyebanji, who signed the communique acknowledged the efforts of NCDC as regards the response and management of several recent public health emergencies, but suggested that more success would be achieved if there’s a stronger partnership and commitment from all stakeholders including the Commissioners of Health.
He said: “In light of the recent outbreaks of cholera, diphtheria and monkeypox, the Commissioners reviewed the preparedness and response strategies of their respective states. The leadership of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) was commended, with calls for continued support to States.”
He reiterated the commitment of the states to sustained preparedness, enhanced surveillance and response, including pre-positioning of drugs, supplies and rapid response teams to contain any future outbreaks effectively, thus suggesting a monthly meeting of NHCF members with the Director General of the NCDC.
On Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), he said the Commissioners acknowledged the growing and alarming incidences of NCDs, notably hypertension, diabetes mellitus and renal diseases, stressing the urgent need for increased awareness, prevention, and treatment options.
He confirmed that a resolution was passed at the meeting to prioritize NCDs in state health agenda, and to develop comprehensive NCD prevention and control policies, adding that a week-long NCDs awareness campaign titled, “Know your Number, Control your Number”, will be led by the Commissioners across all states in the last quarter of 2024.
Dr. Oyebanji further noted that NHCF recognized the critical shortage of skilled healthcare workers as highlighted in the Human Resource for Health (HRH) assessment commissioned by the NHCF, thus the need for innovative strategies to attract, train and retain healthcare professionals across the country.
He appreciated the recent steps by the President through the National Policy on
Health Workforce Migration, to discourage the increasing interest of Nigerian health care workers in foreign practice.
He reaffirmed the commitment of NHCF members to strengthening Primary Health Care (PHC) services as the cornerstone of the Nigerian healthcare system, emphasizing on ensuring adequate staffing, training, and the provision of essential medicines and equipment to improve service delivery at the grassroots level.
He said that NHCF equally considered the recent Supreme Court judgment on Local Government Financial Autonomy vis-a-vis the implications to PHC financing in Nigeria. “To this end, a sub-committee was constituted to develop a position paper in consultation with the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMoH&SW).”
The Health Commissioners, however, expressed their collective commitment to working together to improve the health outcomes of Nigerians, thus calling on all stakeholders, including the private sector and civil society, to support the initiatives to build a healthier and more prosperous Nigeria.