LISDEL-SPAG Project Presents Objectives at the National Health Promotion Forum

Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over and improve their health. The goal of Health Promotion (HP) is to empower the Nigerian populace to take timely actions in managing their health and improving their well-being, as taking timely measures save lives and engender a healthier society. The overall objective of the National Health Promotion Policy is to foster health promotion interventions targeted at addressing social determinants of health, reducing inequalities, and tackling the priority burden of diseases in Nigeria.

As part of the government’s effort in ensuring health literacy for all Nigerians, the Federal Ministry of Health resuscitated the National Health Promotion Forum (NHPF) for effective coordination of stakeholders, toward result-based implementation of the National Health Promotion Policy at all levels.

A two-day quarterly national health promotion forum was organized by the Federal Ministry of Health, Health Promotion Division. The meeting had in attendance the Directors of the Family Health Department, the Head of the Health Promotion Division, representatives of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, State representatives, Development Partners, and Civil Society organizations.

The objectives of the meeting were to review progress made in the implementation of NHPP 2019 in 2022, receive updates from Stakeholders on the implementation of Health Promotion activities in 2022 and present a unified Health Promotion Division 2023 work plan for stakeholders’ buy-in.

In her welcome address, the Director Family Health Department, Dr. Bola Alonge stated that Health promotion remains the key to which the nation will use to achieve Universal Health Coverage.  She opined that health promotion cuts across all the branches in Family Health Department which oversees reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, adolescent, elderly plus nutrition (RMNCAEH+N). According to her, all government MDAs and development partners should ensure full implementation and domestication of the HP policy at all levels.

There were presentations from MDAs, and development partners present at the forum, highlighting achievements, and plans for the year 2023.

The Director/Head of Health Promotion Division, Mrs Bako-Aiyegbusi MNI, presented the HPD 2023 Workplan and requested partners support their focal States in its implementation, particularly in the following areas:

• Strengthening Health Promotion coordination system at National and sub national levels.
• Strengthening media engagement for dissemination of real time preventive messages to the public.
• Human Resource for Health: Capacity Building

Eruemolor Abude, Communications and Online Content Management Specialist, LISDEL-SPAG Project (Strengthening Government Partnerships and Advocacy for PHC) representing the Executive Director, Juliana Aribo, presented the organization’s key health promotion activities done in 2022, with a focus on achievements, challenges encountered, lessons learned, recommendations and plans for 2023. 

LISDEL looks forward to the next quarterly meeting, which is scheduled for the first week of April 2023.

By Philip Akoso | LISDEL

Juliana Abude-Aribo | Editor | LISDEL