Steady Progress Has Been Made in Achieving Health Sector Targets

According to the federal government, its efforts in reforming and revitalising the country’s health sector have shown progress.

The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, who disclosed this at the ongoing 63rd National Council of Health meeting held in Abuja, said the government had embarked on a process of comprehensive health systems reform to modernise and stimulate the economic potential of the health sector.

He said: We are certain that we are on the path to getting it right and in a sustainable way.”

For instance, Ehanire said some progress was being made in intervention to curtail various health challenges facing the country.

“We are making progress towards achieving our targets for COVID-19 vaccination. Despite challenges, including vaccine hesitancy and security concerns in many parts by the end of the year if states and Local governments put more effort in mobilising and our 70 percent coverage needed to acquire herd immunity against COVID-19 virus. In our country about 58 million eligible persons have been fully vaccinated while over 70 million have received at least 1 dose of COVID-19 vaccine so far,” he added.

He said that the government has developed a vaccine manufacturing policy and had taken advanced steps toward local manufacturing of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.

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“Regarding circulating variant poliovirus type 2 (cVPV2), the Minister said that the virus detected in Nigeria has significantly reduced by 85 percent, with deployment of the new oral polio vaccine (nOPV), injectable polio vaccines (iPV) and continued efforts of routine immunisation, ” he said.

He said vaccination against variant poliovirus type 2 would become part of the routine immunisation schedule as of next year.

He also said routine immunisation was showing progress despite the Covid-19 pandemic, as indicated by reports in the sector.

Ehanire said the federal government’s renewed zeal to achieve a new public health order that was resilient, adaptable, and ready to cope with any disease was being hinged on, “attraction, training, and retention of a public health workforce; and local manufacturing of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.”

According to the minister, the new public health order rests on four pillars which included strengthened continental and national public health institutions and fostering respectful local and international partnerships.

Ehanire also said that as part of the health reform plan, the federal government was also implementing new initiatives to address challenges in the areas of neglected tropical diseases, primary healthcare, health insurance roll-out, human resources, climate change, and flooding as well as investment in the health sector and strategic partnerships.