There is Improved Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria, Says Wife of Senate President

Senator Iroegbu in Abuja

The wife of the Senate President, Mrs. Toyin Saraki, has said that there has been progress in the Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria with the launching last July by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki of the Legislative Network for Universal Health Coverage.

Mrs. Saraki, who is the President of Wellbeing Foundation Africa Foundation, said the Primary Health Care Revitalisation Support Group has been a driving force and the Senate has resolved to mandate its Committee on Appropriations to include the one per cent Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) for the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), meaning that the Fund will be in the budget for the first time.

However, she said there was still a long way to go because globally every year healthcare expenses push an estimated 100 million people into poverty around the world and average life expectancy in Nigeria remains at around 53 years old.

She stated this while participating in a high-level meetings and interventions at the annual meeting of the 48th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland with the theme ‘Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World’.

The ex-Kwara State First Lady called on the international community, national governments and influential individuals to ensure that 2018 is the year of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Following her interventions at the World Bank’s Global Financing Facility hosted ‘High-Level Panel Discussion on Women, Adolescent’s and Children’s Health’ Mrs. Saraki had meetings with global health leaders, and also attended The Female Quotient, focused on gender equality, and Johnson and Johnson’s Co-Laboratory.

“The power of health partnerships in Global development has contributed to the Wellbeing Foundation’s success in bringing world innovation to rural health worker training on Emergency Management of Obstetric and Newborn Care through our collaboration with Johnson and Johnson, and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

“This week at Davos, as a Global UHC Champion and Inaugural Goodwill Ambassador of the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), I have been responding to the questions: Why UHC? Why now?

“I agree wholeheartedly with WHO DG Dr. Tedros that UHC is the best way to create a shared future in a fractured world – it not only provides ‘Health for All’ but also reduces poverty, drives economic growth and promotes gender equality.

“At this year’s World Economic Forum I have advocated for midwives as a key engine-starter towards the success of our shared pursuit of better health outcomes, as midwives are well placed to deliver, develop, nurture and counsel all families from birth to age.

“To achieve UHC, and enduring health security, we must ensure that we consider all aspects of health service delivery, from education of health workers, healthcare infrastructure – including at primary healthcare level -service delivery, education and informing of patients, and ensuring there is efficient data for immunisation and follow-up care,” she said.

The Wellbeing Foundation Africa’s Davos interactions concluded with a high-level meeting with IntraHealth CEO and President Pape Gaye.