Health

Nigeria must be intentional in health system approaches- Pate

Published

6 months ago

November 27, 2024

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, has emphasised the need for Nigeria to be more intentional in its health system approaches to tackle health challenges.

He made the statement at the Society for Family Health’s (SFH) 40th-anniversary celebration and book presentation in Abuja on Tuesday.

Pate, represented by Mr Chinedu Moghalu, highlighted the importance of proactive and strategic actions to ensure the health of all Nigerians.

He noted that global health challenges, such as pandemics and healthcare inequities, required more intentional approaches.

“This is not the time for reactive measures; instead, we must take proactive, strategic action to ensure the health and wellbeing of all Nigerians.

“Intentionality serves as both a reflection on our past achievements and a roadmap for future progress.

“Over the past 40 years, we have learned valuable lessons that will guide our efforts to address the health challenges of today and tomorrow.

“As we strive to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC), reduce maternal mortality, and build stronger health systems, the Society for Family Health (SFH) will remain a vital partner in Nigeria’s health transformation.”

He emphasised the importance of local ownership and community-driven health interventions.

He added that the partnerships have enabled SFH to achieve remarkable progress in areas such as HIV prevention, malaria control, and reproductive health.

“What makes SFH’s partnership model unique is its focus on local ownership.

“SFH has partnered not only with international organisations but also with state and local governments, ensuring that health interventions are rooted in local contexts and driven by the communities they serve.

“This approach has been critical in ensuring that healthcare solutions are effective and sustainable in the long term.”

He commended the organisation’s ability to operate in Nigeria’s most challenging regions, providing healthcare in conflict-affected areas in the Northeast and building health resilience in the Northwest.

Looking ahead, Pate emphasised the importance of partnerships in implementing the National Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII).

SFH’s Managing Director, Dr Omokhudu Idogho, reflected on the organisation’s 40-year journey, highlighting its commitment to partnership, strong guidance, and leadership.

He noted that SFH had been renewing itself internally to respond to emerging challenges.

“We achieved this by acquiring the necessary talent, revising and developing internal systems that are more resilient and responsive to emerging challenges, and building new capabilities.

“We began by focusing on family planning, and as HIV emerged, we developed new capabilities to address it.

“When maternal mortality became a pressing issue, we again adapted and built new capabilities to address this challenge.”

Idogho shared SFH’s vision to continue innovating in areas such as supply chain, human resources for health, data systems, and health financing.

He added that capability was also being built on a public-private model for service delivery.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Society for Family Health (SFH) is a pan-African non-governmental organization founded in 1983 by Prof. Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, Malam Dahiru Wali, and Justice Ifeyinwa Nzeako.

(NAN)

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Health

My Herbal Medicines Are Well Accepted Across The Globe, Prof Amodu Reveals

Published

23 hours ago

May 31, 2025

The Gleamer

By David Maxwell

One of Nigeria’s leading voices in the support and propagation of herbal medicine, Professor Benjamin Amodu has revealed that his herbal medicines are widely accepted across the globe.

He made this revelation while speaking to our reporter at his laboratory in Abuja.

Amodu, known for his herbal cure for serveral communicable and non-communicable diseases like malaria, asthma, diabetes, enlarged heart, various cancers, chronic kidney disease even into the end stage, has boldly revealed that his herbal products enjoy a huge acceptance across the globe.

“Our medications are well accepted, both at home here in Nigeria and abroad too.

“This is because we’ve been sending our medicines not only to countries within the African continent, but also countries in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, America and even Oceania.

“We usually send our herbal medicines to Ghana, Cameroon, Egypt, South Africa and many other African countries, and even to Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the United Kingdom, USA, France, Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, Canada and virtually everywhere around the world without any issues.

“We have been sending them to these places via DHL and we haven’t had any issues whatsoever.”
Amodu also spoke of the wide acceptance his his herbal medicines have been enjoying at home here in Nigeria.

He said, “even though we may not have had the support anymore expects from the government, but the Nigerian people are not waiting for the government to tell them to either accept our medications or not.

“Since many patients we have treated with our products and get cured of the ailments keep talking about and announcing for others to know, we haven’t had a short supply of patients who either come to us themselves or through family members and other caregivers.

“So if the USA, UK, Canada and all these other countries can accept our treatment, plus those at home here in Nigeria, then I can confidently say that my products are well recognized and accepted across the world.”

Having spent about four decades researching into Traditional, Complimentary and Alternative Medicine, TCAM, with scores of papers published in reputable health journals and peer reviewed, Amodu, a professor of phytomedicine from the Triune Biblical University, USA, is no doubt a leading advocate for alternative medicine.

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