The Federal Government has reported significant progress in healthcare delivery across Nigeria, including a decline in under-five mortality and increased contraceptive use.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, disclosed this during the 2nd Primary Health Care Leadership Challenge Gala and Awards Night on Thursday.
The event, which brought together state governors, the FCT Minister, development partners, and other stakeholders, celebrated advancements in Nigeria’s primary healthcare system under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Speaking at the occasion, Pate highlighted the achievements of the administration’s health programmes, emphasizing how collaboration between the federal and state governments has driven these improvements.
“Over the past year, we have witnessed what strong leadership and collaboration can achieve, by Q3 2024, 31 out of 41 KPIs under the Presidential Commitments had been met, with reforms under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund ensuring that over 8,000 health facilities were supported and ₦46 billion disbursed.” Pate said.
The minister also shared progress made in infrastructure development and capacity building, saying, “Infrastructure upgrades under the Sector-Wide Approach and Project HOPE have revitalized 238 health facilities to Level 2 functionality, with 320 more in progress and plans to scale up to 4,000. Additionally, 53,000 frontline health workers were retrained this year, significantly enhancing service delivery at the grassroots level.”
Pate pointed out that these efforts have translated into measurable improvements in health outcomes.
“Under-five mortality has declined by 16.7 percent between 2018 and 2023, contraceptive use has increased in 17 states, and health security indices have risen from 39 to 54 percent. Public confidence in healthcare continues to grow, with 54 percent of Nigerians affirming the government’s capacity to manage health emergencies, up from 37 percent in 2023,” he noted.
While celebrating these successes, the minister acknowledged that challenges remain, particularly in ensuring affordability and accessibility of healthcare for all Nigerians.
“Many families cannot afford the high cost of accessing affordable healthcare, National immunization coverage and poor nutrition remain pervasive issues, affecting families due to poor purchasing power.” Pate said.
The gala served as both a reflection on achievements and a call to action for continued collaboration to address lingering challenges in the nation’s healthcare system. “These outcomes demonstrate what we can achieve when we work together,” the minister added.
