CHATHAM HOUSE, LISDEL and other partners of the uhc-2023 forum host health policy dialogue towards achieving UHC in Nigeria

The UHC 2023 Forum is a coalition of various stakeholders, including donor agencies, development partners, civil society organizations, and the media, committed to articulating a clear UHC agenda to inform political decisions and health policy development in Nigeria.

The Forum formed a robust partnership with a global policy think-tank, the Chatham House UK, and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum to raise the political profile of health in Nigeria and developed a citizens-led health agenda that was adopted by major political parties in the country during the 2023 general elections.

Sequel to the conduct of the 2023 general elections in the country, the UHC 2023 Forum engaged with the political class to ensure their health policy priorities reflect the most important gaps in the health system and the aspirations of Nigerians. With the emergence of the new political dispensation, it is important to sustain prior engagements and follow through with the commitments secured.

To this end, the Forum in collaboration with partners organized a one-day health policy dialogue to deliberate on Nigeria’s health policy priorities in the light of the Presidential Committee on Health Reform’s recommendations and the citizens-led health agenda.

The objectives of the dialogue were aimed at articulating evidence on policy recommendations for health reforms in Nigeria, forging a consensus on health and health security priorities in the light of available evidence, identifying key success factors for achieving health and health security reforms objectives in Nigeria’s complex administrative setting and chart a course of action for effective and sustained citizens-led engagement toward productive health reforms.

In attendance were the Special Adviser to the President on Health, Dr Salma Anas, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health, who was represented the Director, Department of Planning Research and Statistics, Dr Ngozi Azodoh, the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, Robert Yates from the Chatham House UK, the Emir of Shonga HRH (Dr.) Haliru Yahaya and the President of the Legislative Initiative for Sustainable Development (LISDEL), Sen Dr Olanrewaju Tejuoso.

Other stakeholders present during the dialogue include the Head of the Presidential Health Reform Committee Secretariat, Members of the 10^th National Assembly, the Honorable Commissioner for Health, Lagos state Ministry of Health, All Progressive Congress National Women Leader, among many others.

In her welcome address, the Chair of the UHC 2023 Forum, Chief Mrs. Moji Makanjuala stated that the commencement of the UHC journey is usually preceded by a political decision to set a country on the trajectory towards UHC, which is often catalyzed by growing local clamor for health reforms to expand access to care and minimize financial hardship associated with seeking care.

According to her, the UHC2023 Forum is poised to deploying all resources to achieve the ambitious goals of setting Nigeria’s UHC priorities in the policy and programs of the present administration.

There were goodwill messages from the WHO, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, The APC women Leader, the Emir of Shonga, HSRC, and the Chatham House. There were also presentations and panel discussions to elicit the opinion of stakeholders on getting it right from the outset to achieve UHC.

While delivering the address of the Permanent Secretary, Dr Azodoh congratulated the UHC-2023 Forum for its resilience to ensure the country achieves UHC. According to the Permanent Secretary, the Ministry develops policies that galvanize the achievement of UHC as seen in the collaborative work between the Ministry and the Legislative arm of the government that resulted in the repeal of the National Health Insurance Scheme and the re-enactment of the National Health Insurance Authority NHIA Act 2022 into law. She noted that, this piece of legislation has made health insurance mandatory in Nigeria.

Other participants who made remarks and those who spoke during different panel discussions reiterated the need to take immediate action, leveraging and operationalizing the Report of the Presidential Health Reform Committee to engage the present dispensation both at the national and subnational levels for improved health outcomes that will catalyze progress towards UHC in Nigeria.

They recommended among others the need for proper accountability mechanisms in the health sector to address systemic issues as well as ensure availability and efficient use of resources allocated for health, encourage private sector participation, and integrate innovation and technology.

The policy recommendations of the Citizens-Led Health Agenda was presented to the Special Adviser to the President on Health, who pledged to support its consideration and implementation in the new political dispensation.

By Philip Akoso | LISDEL

Juliana Abude-Aribo |Editor | LISDEL