1,000 Delegates Expected At 67th National Council On Health In Nasarawa

Preparations have intensified for the 67th National Council on Health (NCH) as Nasarawa State sets to host over 1,000 delegates from across the country.

The week-long meeting, scheduled for the first week of November 2026, will be the first time Nasarawa will host the apex health policy-making gathering since its creation in 1996.

The commissioner for Health, Dr Gaza Gwamna, disclosed this when he received a delegation from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare on an assessment visit to Lafia, the state capital, yesterday.

Gwamna said the administration of Governor Abdullahi Sule had in the last seven years prioritised the health sector, with massive investments in infrastructure, comprehensive upgrade of hospitals and health facilities, and procurement of state-of-the-art medical equipment to improve access to quality healthcare, particularly maternal and child health.

He commended the federal government for granting the state the hosting right and pledged that the state government would provide the needed support and facilities to ensure a successful and hitch-free meeting.

Earlier, leader of the delegation and Director, Health Planning, Research and Statistics at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. John Ovuoraye, said the visit was to brief the state government on its level of preparedness based on preliminary inspection of facilities.

Dr. Ovuoraye expressed satisfaction with the arrangements on ground, especially the provision of adequate accommodation for the over 1,000 delegates expected at the event.

He put the level of preparation at about 70 percent complete, but urged the state government to expedite action on some outstanding observations raised by the team, including provision of clinic facilities at the venue of the event.

The National Council on Health is the highest decision-making body on health matters in the country, comprising the Minister of Health, Commissioners for Health from the 36 states and the FCT, as well as development partners and other critical stakeholders in the health sector.