WHO Calls on Africa, Nigeria to Fulfil SDGs Pledge on UHC
Tips Nigeria to achieve UHC by 2030
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called on all African leaders, especially the Nigerian government to meet up with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) pledges on Universal Health Coverage.
The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, made the call in a statement in a speech delivered by the country representative to Nigeria, Dr. Wondi Alemu.
The statement was in celebration of the World Health Day (marked April 7) with the theme: ‘Universal Health Coverage (UHC): everyone, everywhere’, which aims to reinforce the need for access to health care services for all citizens.
It also marks the 40th anniversary of the Alma Ata Declaration of 1978 which called for health for all by the year 2000.
According to Moeti, African governments had in 2015 SDGs pledged and committed to concrete actions of responsive health systems through UHC in their respective countries.
To this end, he said WHO in the African region is committed to supporting Member States to achieve universal health coverage and the attainment of the SDGs. He noted that UHC helps in assuring access to health care services, irrespective of the status or position in the society.
He said: “We have developed a framework of actions to assist countries in selecting their own path towards achieving both UHC and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We have also developed a flagship programme geared towards providing integrated and holistic support to countries through implementation support, a regional learning programme for UHC.
“UHC means ensuring that everyone, no matter where they live or who they are, can access essential quality health services without facing financial hardship. It is a powerful equaliser that ensures Health for All, enhances health security, reduces poverty and promotes gender equality.”
The WHO Regional Director further stated that effective leadership and high-level political commitment are critical to achieving UHC.
“Adequate and sustained investment in health is necessary for ensuring equitable access to health services. We are calling on countries to strive and improve health governance and information systems to ensure better regulation, planning and accountability to the communities and partners,” he added.
Moeti further noted that several countries in the region, including Burkina Faso, Burundi, Ghana, Liberia, Senegal and Uganda, have demonstrated that removing user fees systemati- cally increases utilisation rates of health services.
He stressed that Rwanda’s health insurance scheme expanded access to quality health services for poor people from 7% in 2003 to 91% in 2010.
To this end, he urged member States to also address the persistent challenge of inadequate health workforce, citing that Ethiopia exemplifies how investment in health workers, and specifically community health workers, contributes to improved delivery of essential health services. Moeti further stressed on the need to reduce the occurrence of noncommunicable diseases, address new threats such as SARS, H5N1, and tackle epidemics like Ebola and cholera.
He also urged the African leaders to address the challenge of anti-microbial resistance and substandard and falsified medicines.
The WHO Regional Director however disclosed that since August 2016, the region has not reported a case of wild Polio virus; compared to 2012 when Africa accounted for 50 per cent of Polio cases globally.
He also noted that “access to treatment and essential services has improved. For the first time, more than half of all people living with HIV in Africa (14 million) have access to life-saving HIV treatment.
“Between 2010 and 2016, new cases of malaria dropped by 20 per cent and there were 37 per cent fewer deaths due to malaria. Moreover, in 2016, the risk of developing pneumonia and meningitis reduced for nearly two thirds of children on the continent because they were vaccinated; compared to only 3 per cent in 2010.”
Also speaking, WHO’s Health Economist, Dr. Francis Ukwuje, noted that the Federal Ministry of Health has identified the primary health care centres as the unit to provide universal health coverage to Nigerians and the vehicle through which it can be achieved is the basic health care provision fund.
To this end, Ukwuje said WHO are providing basic health care services to poor people in the community, and we are pioneering the project in three states including Abia, Niger, and Osun state.
He further hinted that for the programme to be fully implemented, the state health insurance scheme will be established so there won’t be need for payment before accessing health services.
“The federal government is working with partners to ensure the success of the programme”, he added. WHO has also tipped Nigeria to achieve the Universal Health Coverage by 2030 if it can sustain the ongoing efforts the revitalisation of the primary health care centres across the country.