The Honourable Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, has called on stakeholders to renew their commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s health system. Speaking at the APC Medical Council Health Roundtable Conference in Abuja, Dr. Salako emphasized the need for collaborative effort to achieve a resilient health system that provides quality healthcare to all Nigerians, regardless of location or income.
He highlighted the government’s achievements, including the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), which has provided millions of Nigerians with access to quality care, improved immunization coverage, and innovative health insurance schemes by states. Dr. Salako noted that the government has also made significant strides in addressing human resource gaps, employing over 37,000 health workers, with over 75% in the clinical cadre, between 2023 and now.
However, he stressed that despite progress, gaps remain, citing maternal mortality, child mortality, and healthcare costs impoverishing families. “Too many mothers still die in childbirth, too many children don’t reach their fifth birthday, and too many families are impoverished by healthcare costs,” Dr. Salako lamented.
The Minister emphasized that health system resilience requires sustained investment, political will, and community ownership. He assured that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is committed to accelerating progress, citing efforts to develop a health workforce migration policy, expand laboratory network staffing, and deploy Community Health Extension Workers to optimize manpower resources.
Dr. Salako urged stakeholders to join hands to deliver health to Nigerians, emphasizing that “only healthy people can produce a prosperous, secured, and great country.” He stressed the importance of responsible leadership, accountability, and transparent use of allocated health resources, promising that the government will continue to demonstrate responsible leadership for health system governance and accountability processes.
The conference was attended by various stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, policymakers, and development partners, who pledged to work together to strengthen Nigeria’s health system and achieve universal health coverage.
