Nigeria RMNCAEH+N Multi-stakeholders Partnership Coordination Platform

The Federal Ministry of Health held a one-day biannual session of the Nigeria RMNCAEH+N Multi-stakeholders Partnership Coordination Platform (RMNCAEH+N MSPCP).

The Multi-Stakeholders Partnership Coordination Platform (MSPCP) was launched three years ago on 12^th October 2020, by the Honorable Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehnaire in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the primary objective of providing leadership and strategic direction to the delivery of quality RMNCAEH-N services by advocating, mobilizing, leveraging, and harnessing financial and technical resources at all levels for enhanced RMNCAEH-N program delivery in Nigeria.

The agenda of the meeting was to provide a progress update on RMNCAEH-N MSPCP activities since the last meeting of the platform, identify innovations to accelerate the reduction in maternal and child health, highlight challenges, proffer solutions and outline actionable steps and expected outputs for the platform for the year 2023 and beyond.

Present at meeting was the Honorable Minister of Health Dr. Osagie Ehanire, represented by the Director of Hospital Services, Dr. Annas Kolo, representatives of the Honorable Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development and her counterpart, the Honorable Minister of Humanitarian, Disaster Management and Social Development, the Permanent Secretary FMoH represented by Dr. Boladale Alonge, Director, Family Health Department, Federal Ministry of Health,  representatives of the  Director General, National Agency for Food, Drugs, Administration, and Control (NAFDAC), Executive Secretary of National Primary Health Care Development Agency NPHCDA, ES National Health Insurance Authority NHIA, the Director General Nigeria Governors Forum, a representative of the Commissioners Forum who joined virtually, Representatives of the World Bank, National Council of Women Society NCWS, Africa Health Budget Network, FCDO, Society for Family Health, Executive Director LISDEL, the Emir of Shonga Dr. Haliru Yahaya, the Chair, RMNCAH+N Core Group, Key stakeholders working in the RMNCAEH-N space, the Media and virtual participants.

There were collaborative remarks from the ED-NPHCDA, ES-NHIA, DG-NAFDAC, DG-NACA, DG-Governors’ Forum, and Chairman-Health Commissioners Forum as well as statements from religious fathers who pledged their continued support to the platform to deliver on objectives.

In his remarks, the DG-NGF assured the platform of the forum’s commitment to ensuring the good health of women, children, and the elderly, including adolescents in the country. He expressed the readiness of the forum to champion the transition campaign of the new dispensation during the NGF’s induction meeting to catalyze processes on continuous RMNCAEH+N implementation by the new administration.

The 64th session of the National Council on Health (NCH) resolved that RMNCAEH+N platforms should be domesticated at the subnational levels.

Representatives of FCDO and IHP in their separate remarks pledged to continue to support the implementation of RMNCAEH-N for the well-being of women, children, adolescents, and the elderly in the country.

The Honorable Minister of Health in his keynote address accentuated that the country is on the right track to attaining the Universal Health Coverage by delivering on RMNCAEH-N services. He affirmed that since the launch of the MSPCP in 2020 at the national level, five States have succeeded in domesticating the RMNCAEH-N platform and are at the point of establishing the Departments of Family Health. This, he said, is a pointer that the country is progressing towards reducing maternal and mortality indices.

He urged other States to key into the initiative, sustain the tempo and fast-track the implementation of RMNCAEH-N services and plans at the subnational levels.

Dr. Osagie also charged the Commissioner’s forum to ensure a smooth transition of the current commissioners to the new dispensation through engagements and sensitization particularly on RMNCAEH+N.

He commended the Core groups and Co-Chair of the groups for their commitments shown in working at the community level to reduce the indices. The Minister appreciated all working tirelessly towards the success of RMNCAEH+N.

The meeting ended with a global hybrid watch party event to commemorate a decade of call to action for improving maternal and child survival across the globe.

By Philip Akoso | LISDEL

Juliana Abude-Aribo| Editor | LISDEL