By Naijatruth
President Bola Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu has called for Africa to form alliances across boundaries and sectors, using their collective skills, knowledge, resources, and the private sector to overcome the complex problems facing the health sector.
He made this call at the Ministerial Executive Leadership Programme, which was held alongside the 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Saturday. President Tinubu said that Africa’s cooperation with the rest of the world to address urgent health issues is not only a strategic decision, but a moral duty.
The President stressed that healthcare professionals are the foundation of the healthcare system, and therefore, investments must be made not only in training but also in creating favourable environments that enable healthcare professionals to flourish.
He said that community health delivery must be the main focus of Africa’s efforts, building partnerships with local actors and empowering people to take responsibility for their own health, adding that the true indicator of the continent’s success is its ability to reach the most disadvantaged members of its communities.
“In our pursuit of universal health coverage, equity must be our core guiding principle. Health inequalities, rooted in socio-economic disparity, gender bias, geographic remoteness, and other systemic barriers, require political commitment and specific interventions to address them.
We must listen to the voices of marginalized communities, echoing their concerns and hopes as we endeavour to build more prosperous, just, and inclusive societies.
“In Nigeria, we are taking significant steps, aimed at improving healthcare access, affordability, and quality for all citizens, regardless of socio-economic status. This initiative is driven by a multi-dimensional approach focusing on strengthening leadership and governance within the health sector, enhancing quality service delivery for efficiency and effectiveness.
“The Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), which I launched last December, stands as a trailblazing initiative, implemented through a Sector-Wide Approach, to improve health outcomes at scale.
This initiative is strategically designed to rapidly improve health indicators and unleash the economic potential within Nigeria’s healthcare value chain. Central to its mission is the unlocking of the nation’s human capital, along with the potential economic benefit that has been long untapped in the healthcare sector.
The Federal Government, under my leadership, has already signed a Compact with State Governments and Development partners in this multi-stakeholder effort to improve health in Nigeria,” the President said.
President Tinubu urged Africa’s leaders to commit to concrete actions and policies that will drive positive change in healthcare delivery within their respective countries and regions, stating: “Together, we can build a prosperous, healthier, more equitable future, for all Africans, in line with Agenda 2063.”