The federal government revealed that efforts are underway to ensure that health workers, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists, and others, that have left the system are replaced immediately, while ensuring that those currently in the system are properly motivated in terms of their remuneration and conditions of work, to ensure that they continue to provide quality healthcare services to the citizens.
The government also stated that it has plans underway to reduce the country’s dependence on the importation of drugs and equipment, with the view of reducing the percentage of importation from over 60 per cent to 40 per cent. It said it would encourage local manufacturing of medicines and assembly of equipment.
Speaking during the Joint World Health Organization (WHO)-stakeholders feedback workshop on the evaluation of third WHO-Nigeria country cooperation strategy (2023 to 2027), the Special Adviser to the President on Health, Dr. Salma Anas-Ibrahim, said, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is aware that Nigeria currently faces severe challenges of brain drain. Prior to the brain drain, our human resources for health are grossly inadequate; we are not yet there. Efforts will be made towards ensuring that we address these issues and advance the capacities of our training institutions, both public and private sector, to step up action and leverage all opportunities that will guarantee sustainable human resources for health at all levels of our healthcare, particularly at our primary healthcare level in our communities.
“Efforts are ongoing currently to address a lot of the issue, including having one-on-one replacement as immediate to replace those that have exited. Efforts are also ongoing to ensure that we have motivated, vibrant health workers that are retained, and also, those that want to come back and continue to contribute to healthcare development.”
The Country Representative of the WHO, Dr. Walter Mulombo, in his remarks, said, “This review is particularly remarkable as it comes during a political transition in the country which provides a potential policy change and transformation window given the opportunities presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the primary health care reimagining program, the National Health Insurance Authority Act, and the Presidential Health Reform program.
“One key recurring challenge thrown at WHO during this on-going review, is the need for WHO to be more innovative and agile to adopt a stronger coordination role as the leading authority in health in support of the country and other partners.”
In her remarks, Dr. Ngozi Azodoh, representing the Permanent Secretary, Engr. Funso Adebiyi, Federal Ministry of Health, said: “The Federal Ministry of Health has started the process of reviewing the national strategic plan. Our role is to ensure that the priority areas move the health sector forward. We must continue to strengthen our processes and partnerships.”
Chairman of the Commissioners of Health, Dr Banji Filani, represented by Dr. Tobi Coker, added: “We would like to appreciate the WHO for engaging us, the sub-national in this strategy. We are committed to collaborate with key stakeholders to leverage on technology and leverage human and financial resources.
“We will make sure that every Nigeria will feel the impact of your interventions, and have better outcomes in health.”