Stakeholders in the health sector have urged Nigeria to take charge of its health programmes and reduce dependency on foreign donors, in order to maintain sustainability and build on existing successes.
The stakeholders gave the advice yesterday at the second APIN annual symposium, themed: “Security Our Future: Strengthening Global Health in Nigeria”, in Abuja.
In his keynote address, the assistant director-general, division of health emergency and surveillance systems, World Health Organisation (WHO) and former director-general of the Nigeria Cent re for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, emphasised that Nigeria must prioritise strengthening local institutions to create sustainable healthcare systems.
"While international partners play an important role, the ultimate responsibility for building a resilient health system lies with us," Ihekweazu said.
He pointed out that Nigeria has received over $13 billion in funding from programmes like PEPFAR and the Global Fund in the past two decades. However, he questioned whether the country has made full use of these funds to develop the institutions needed to tackle future health challenges.
He shared an example that highlighted the issue. A Washington-based organization was tasked with strengthening Nigeria’s health systems but relied on the NCDC for basic support and information.
How can a foreign initiative be trusted to build our health systems better than we can?" he
asked. This dependency, he argued, undermines Nigeria’s ability to truly own its healthcare
transformation.
The coordinating minister of health and social welfare, Prof. Ali Pate,
called for collective responsibility in addressing the nation’s health challenges.
Represented by the head of Port Health Services, Nse Akpan, the minister emphasised the
importance of collaboration in reducing dependency on foreign donors and strengthening local
capacity.
“The government cannot do it alone, and the government cannot do it all. We need more
stakeholders, both locally and internationally, to come together and tackle these diseases,” he
said.
On his part, the chief executive officer of APIN Public Health Initiatives, Dr. Prosper Okonkwo,
emphasised the importance of improved laboratories, scalable data systems, and health workers
training to manage future health crises.
“When COVID came, we were taking all the samples to Irua. Before the sample would go and
come back, the person is dead,” he noted.
He also highlighted the role of community engagement in combating misinformation.
Also speaking at the event, PEPFAR coordinator, Funmi Adesanya,
hailed Nigeria’s significant progress in the fight against HIV, highlighting the leadership of local
organisations in driving impactful change.
“It’s inspiring to see indigenous partners leading efforts to prevent mother-to-child transmission,
address gender-based violence, and provide safe spaces for comprehensive HIV care,” she said.
