Health
FG urges states to boost climate change resilience
The Federal Government has called on state governments to enhance their capacity to respond promptly to floods and other climate-related disasters.
Mr Chris Ngwodo, Director-General of the Office for Strategic Preparedness and Resilience, made this appeal at the Youth Pre-Conference of Nigeria Health Watch’s Future of Health Conference in Abuja on Wednesday.
Ngwodo emphasised that capacity deficits at the state level must be addressed, with the Federal Government providing support.
He advocated for proactive and reactive measures, including evacuating flood-prone areas and investing in climate-resilient infrastructure.
“The government will provide alerts and forecasts on heavy rainfall and changing patterns that may trigger flooding.
“Climate change severely impacts Nigeria, with rising sea levels in the south causing flooding and drought and desertification in the north,” he said.
Ngwodo encouraged youth involvement by familiarising themselves with national policies and legislation addressing climate issues.
Dr Omokhudu Idogho of the Society for Family Health noted that climate mitigation and adaptation yield significant health benefits, outweighing costs.
He emphasised climate change’s social, health, and economic implications and its status as a children’s rights emergency.
Nigeria Health Watch’s Managing Director, Mrs Vivianne lhekweazu, highlighted climate change’s devastating impact on community health across Africa.
She stressed the importance of involving young people in the conversation, leveraging their powerful voices to drive change.
Nigeria Health Watch’s Managing Director, Mrs Viviaane Ihekweazı, highlighted climate change’s devastating impact on community health across Africa.
She stressed the importance of involving young people in the conversation, leveraging their powerful voices to drive change.
According to her, the rising temperatures, shifting weather patterns, and increasing natural disasters are exacerbating health vulnerabilities.
These, she said were through the spread of infectious diseases, food and water insecurity, or strain on the already fragile health systems.
She, however, said that the youth conference was to bring young people into the conversation because they would be disproportionately impacted by its effects.
“Young people have a very powerful voice that is not constrained by finances and those voices have to be used because other countries have used youth voices to lead to change.
“People are creating apps to track changing weather patterns. How are we using that to inform policy,” she asked.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nigeria Health Watch is a not-for-profit health communication and advocacy organisation that seeks to advocate for better health for Nigerians.
NAN
Health
Pate advocates healthcare investment for UHC in Nigeria
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Prof. Ali Pate,, has emphasised that investing in healthcare was crucial for achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Nigeria.
He made this statement on Thursday in Abuja at the commemoration of UHC Day 2024, themed “Health on the House Government.”
Pate underscored that healthcare investment was not solely the responsibility of the federal government, but a collective effort that included states and non-state actors.
“It is not only the Federal Government’s responsibility; states and global partners can do more.
“Non-state actors can also encourage others to prioritise greater investment, as good health is not achieved cheaply.
“Quality healthcare is not inexpensive, and for every investment made in health, the returns are far greater,” he said.
He highlighted that investments in healthcare would bring considerable dividends.
“For instance, a one dollar investment in combating Tuberculosis yields 43 dollars in return, while one dollar spent on immunisation generates multiple returns.
“By preventing pneumonia, we save both money and lives, which significantly impacts the economy,” he said.
Regarding the federal government’s efforts toward UHC, Pate noted that the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (HSRII) had already made a positive impact.
However, he acknowledged that the country still had a long way to go in terms of healthcare delivery.
According to him, over the past year, 238 facilities have been upgraded to functional level two, with an additional 320 facilities currently undergoing upgrades.
He said that states have also taken the initiative to upgrade 2,600 facilities using impact funds, and the Project Hope programme was providing incentives to upgrade another 2,000 facilities.
“More than 8,000 facilities are receiving direct funding through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) across all 36 states.
“Additionally, two million people have been enrolled in health insurance in the past year.”
The Minister of State for Health, Dr Iziaq Salako, encouraged health workers to continue advancing the health system and called for greater public education on the importance of saving for healthcare.
He emphasised that saving for health was essential, just as one would save for car repairs.
Dr Walter Mulombo, the World Health Organisation’s Country Representative to Nigeria, stated that UHC was fundamentally a political choice.
He commended President Bola Tinubu’s leadership in UHC reforms, particularly his focus on sustainable and innovative financing.
“If Nigeria delivers on UHC, it will have a domino effect on Africa and the world,” he said.
Mr Dave Conalogue, Co-Chair of Health Development Partners in Nigeria, highlighted the positive changes brought about by development partners.
He emphasised their increasing support for government systems, including pooling resources and providing on-budget support to strengthen healthcare delivery.
NAN
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