It was 7: 45am; I dropped my daughter off at school and drove to my office. By 8: 05 I was at my desk, ready to work. By 10: 43am I was called in for a meeting, two minutes after I settled down for the meeting, I received a call from my daughter’s school; she had just been rushed to the hospital.
Shock, fear and sweat gripped me all at once as I drove to the hospital; Doofan my only daughter, I saw her school bus outside, two teachers, the headmistress and the proprietress. Then I saw my only daughter lying down on a bench bleeding from the mouth. I was told she fell from the stairs in her school. As I held her hand, she cried, “Daddy, hold me I don’t want to die, where is Mummy… I don’t want to die.” Then I looked round and shouted at the nurse, where is the doctor on duty? She looked at me and kept drinking her tea. Where is the Doctor on duty I shouted again! And she pointed at the corridor, there I saw the Doctor holding the hands of a nurse chatting!
I walked up to the man whom the nurse had pointed at and begged almost in tears, my daughter needs your attention I pleaded. And he said “we are on strike”. I rushed back to stay with my daughter as I heard my wife’s voice wailing, the school had called her too. She ran past me and walked up to the doctor begging in tears, help my daughter she said. And again, the Doctor said, “all Doctors are on strike”.
I waited impatiently for the doctor to finish chatting and before I knew what was happening, I saw the doctor holding hands with the nurse, walking away.
I shook my head and tears rolled down my eyes, I walked back to my wife to console her.
As I wondered which hospital to take my daughter, a man in blue uniform walked up to me and said, “Oga, maybe you should go to Dr. Dike’s hospital, it is down the road.
He gave me the description and I drove my family to the hospital, my daughter was still bleeding. As I got to the hospital, I was asked by a polite nurse to hold on for the doctor, that he was on his way to the hospital. She gave us a private room and started what seemed like first aid treatment.
Within 15 minutes, the doctor arrived. He walked up to my wife and I and apologized for his lateness. I was speechless as I watched him attend to my daughter. He was nice, polite, and ready to give her the best care. He was the same man I had seen earlier who was too busy chatting with a nurse to attend to me. He is Dr. Dike!
I watched him give my daughter the best medical attention. The polite nurse beckoned on me and she gave me the bill. Alas! The figure on it was eight times higher than what I would have paid at the government hospital. I left and drove back to my office…
As drove I bought a copy of Thisday newspaper on Monday, June 22, 2009 I flipped through the pages when I got back to my office, searching for my favourite page, business page. Just before I got to the page, an interesting caption caught my attention on page nine “FG Pleads for Understanding over NMA’s Demand”.
My Point:
Are these doctors going on strike so Nigerians can patronise their expensive private clinics? Are they messing up the image of the hospitals by going on strike so they can get patronage at their private hospitals? These are questions begging for answers. If what I read in Thisday is true and the Minister of Health, Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin is putting all things in place for them and they still can’t put up their acts together and get the best out of their jobs, then it is just unfortunate, very unfortunate.
The last paragraph of the Thisday report states that “The agitation for improved wages and benefits has been on for over 11 years”. So, does it mean if Osotimehin gives them all they are asking for they will give their best to their work or find another reason to go on strike?
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
SPEECH DELIEVERD BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF HEALTH,PROFESSOR BABATUNDE OSOTIMEHIN,OON ON THE OCCASION OF THE 2009 WORLD BLOOD DAY PRESS BRIEFING HELD ON FRIDAY 12TH JUNE 2009
I am indeed very happy to be amongst you today, on the occasion of the 2009 World Blood Donor Day celebration.
Every year since 2004, the 14th of June has been set aside by the World Health Assembly to recognize and thank those who donate blood for altruistic reasons. This date has been chosen in Honour of Karl Landsteiner who discovered the ABO blood groups in 1907. He won a Nobel Prize for the scientific feat, which has made blood transfusions a key part of Modern medicine since 1930.
It is well documented that there is higher risk of transmitting infections when blood and blood products have been obtained from paid donors. It is for this reason that the World Health Assembly passed resolution 28.72 of 1975,which recommends that member states, including Nigeria ,adopt a well-organised centrally coordinated blood transfusion service with quality systems based on 100% voluntary non-remunerated blood donation.
Testifying of all units of blood donated is essential. However testing alone is not sufficient to prevent transmission of infectious agents through blood transfusions because of the possibility of laboratory error’s , and the window period of infection.
Evidence from around the world demonstrates that patients who receives blood from voluntary non-remunerated donors who give blood regularly, are at the lowest risk of acquiring blood-borne infections through transfusion, because these donor’s are motivated by altruism and have no reason to conceal any reason why their blood may be unsafe.
Millions of lives are saved each year through blood transfusion, and in many countries, including Nigeria, many people still die due to an inadequate supply of blood and blood products. This has a disproportionate impact on women as a consequence of pregnancy-related complications, children due to malnutrition,Malaria and severe life-threatening anaemia, trauma victims, and most especially the poor and disadvantaged.
One of the strategies for ensuring the safety, quality and availability of adequate blood supplies is by the collection of blood from voluntary non-remunerated donors only
Around the world, millions of people owe their lives to individuals they will never meet, people who donate their blood to help others. But millions still cannot get safe blood when they need it. Today provides a unique opportunity to thank those special people that have voluntarily given their blood to save lives. We can also raise awareness about the need for more support from good people of Nigeria to enlist as voluntary non-remunerated blood donors.
The theme for this year’s World Blood Donor Day celebration is “Achieving 100% Non-Remunerated Donation of Blood Products”. It places more emphasis on improving the safety and sufficiency of blood supply. As more and more countries achieve the goal of 100% voluntary non-remunerated blood donation, there is growing appreciation of the vital roles of voluntary donors who give blood on foundation a sustainable National blood supply that is sufficient to meet the needs of all patients requiring blood and blood components.
Through the commitment of the people and the government of both the United States of America and Nigeria, there are currently 12 operational National Blood Transfusion Centre’s spread over the 6 geo-political zones of Nigeria, up from the demonstration Blood Center pioneered by technical partners to the NBTS, Safe Blood for Africa Foundation in 2004. It is anticipated that by the end of 2009,5 additional centre’s would have been established, bringing the total to 17. The NBTS is committed to establishing one National Blood centre in each of the 36 states by 2015, in the hope that the states will pick up the challenge and ensure that modalities are put in place to make safe blood accessible to all communities within their catchment areas. The successful implementation of a centrally coordinated blood service through the political will of the various levels of government, will replace the hitherto fragmented and unregulated blood service characterized by Paid of family replacement blood donors, the safety and quality of whose blood and blood products is not assured.
The National Blood Transfusion Service has the responsibility of providing safe blood and blood products available to all who may need it. The NBTS will also regulate other blood banks and related service providers in the country as stated in the National Blood Policy, in order to guarantee the quality of blood and blood products from those facilities. Operational guidelines for blood transfusion practice in Nigeria have also been developed, to ensure operational consistency at all levels of the blood service.
Blood is a scarce and precious resource. In order to minimize its unnecessary prescription and administration, the NBTS also promotes the appropriate clinical use of blood products, which also reduces the incidence of adverse reactions. Hospitals are actively supported to establish Transfusion Committees.
As the demand for blood keeps increasing, Nigeria strives to make blood readily available by increasing blood collection from voluntary non-remunerated blood donors. In order to meet these needs, I call an all you special people gathered here today to enlist as voluntary blood donors in support of our quest for community participation. Regular donation of blood – three times per year for women, and four for men – will help us maintain a stable pool of safe blood units, and expand our blood component programme to achieve self-sufficiency.
I will not conclude without acknowledging the significant role of the mass media in our collective efforts at increasing and sustaining the pool of voluntary unpaid donors. Ladies and gentlemen of the press. I implore you to create the necessary awareness about voluntary blood donation so that those that have been skeptical thus far about voluntary unpaid blood donation would improve their knowledge and therefore change their beliefs and behavior and join those gift of blood continues to save lives.
Thank you for being present at this occasion. As you leave here, please pass on the message, safe blood saves lives. Donate blood and save lives.
Thank you and may God bless us all
I am indeed very happy to be amongst you today, on the occasion of the 2009 World Blood Donor Day celebration.
Every year since 2004, the 14th of June has been set aside by the World Health Assembly to recognize and thank those who donate blood for altruistic reasons. This date has been chosen in Honour of Karl Landsteiner who discovered the ABO blood groups in 1907. He won a Nobel Prize for the scientific feat, which has made blood transfusions a key part of Modern medicine since 1930.
It is well documented that there is higher risk of transmitting infections when blood and blood products have been obtained from paid donors. It is for this reason that the World Health Assembly passed resolution 28.72 of 1975,which recommends that member states, including Nigeria ,adopt a well-organised centrally coordinated blood transfusion service with quality systems based on 100% voluntary non-remunerated blood donation.
Testifying of all units of blood donated is essential. However testing alone is not sufficient to prevent transmission of infectious agents through blood transfusions because of the possibility of laboratory error’s , and the window period of infection.
Evidence from around the world demonstrates that patients who receives blood from voluntary non-remunerated donors who give blood regularly, are at the lowest risk of acquiring blood-borne infections through transfusion, because these donor’s are motivated by altruism and have no reason to conceal any reason why their blood may be unsafe.
Millions of lives are saved each year through blood transfusion, and in many countries, including Nigeria, many people still die due to an inadequate supply of blood and blood products. This has a disproportionate impact on women as a consequence of pregnancy-related complications, children due to malnutrition,Malaria and severe life-threatening anaemia, trauma victims, and most especially the poor and disadvantaged.
One of the strategies for ensuring the safety, quality and availability of adequate blood supplies is by the collection of blood from voluntary non-remunerated donors only
Around the world, millions of people owe their lives to individuals they will never meet, people who donate their blood to help others. But millions still cannot get safe blood when they need it. Today provides a unique opportunity to thank those special people that have voluntarily given their blood to save lives. We can also raise awareness about the need for more support from good people of Nigeria to enlist as voluntary non-remunerated blood donors.
The theme for this year’s World Blood Donor Day celebration is “Achieving 100% Non-Remunerated Donation of Blood Products”. It places more emphasis on improving the safety and sufficiency of blood supply. As more and more countries achieve the goal of 100% voluntary non-remunerated blood donation, there is growing appreciation of the vital roles of voluntary donors who give blood on foundation a sustainable National blood supply that is sufficient to meet the needs of all patients requiring blood and blood components.
Through the commitment of the people and the government of both the United States of America and Nigeria, there are currently 12 operational National Blood Transfusion Centre’s spread over the 6 geo-political zones of Nigeria, up from the demonstration Blood Center pioneered by technical partners to the NBTS, Safe Blood for Africa Foundation in 2004. It is anticipated that by the end of 2009,5 additional centre’s would have been established, bringing the total to 17. The NBTS is committed to establishing one National Blood centre in each of the 36 states by 2015, in the hope that the states will pick up the challenge and ensure that modalities are put in place to make safe blood accessible to all communities within their catchment areas. The successful implementation of a centrally coordinated blood service through the political will of the various levels of government, will replace the hitherto fragmented and unregulated blood service characterized by Paid of family replacement blood donors, the safety and quality of whose blood and blood products is not assured.
The National Blood Transfusion Service has the responsibility of providing safe blood and blood products available to all who may need it. The NBTS will also regulate other blood banks and related service providers in the country as stated in the National Blood Policy, in order to guarantee the quality of blood and blood products from those facilities. Operational guidelines for blood transfusion practice in Nigeria have also been developed, to ensure operational consistency at all levels of the blood service.
Blood is a scarce and precious resource. In order to minimize its unnecessary prescription and administration, the NBTS also promotes the appropriate clinical use of blood products, which also reduces the incidence of adverse reactions. Hospitals are actively supported to establish Transfusion Committees.
As the demand for blood keeps increasing, Nigeria strives to make blood readily available by increasing blood collection from voluntary non-remunerated blood donors. In order to meet these needs, I call an all you special people gathered here today to enlist as voluntary blood donors in support of our quest for community participation. Regular donation of blood – three times per year for women, and four for men – will help us maintain a stable pool of safe blood units, and expand our blood component programme to achieve self-sufficiency.
I will not conclude without acknowledging the significant role of the mass media in our collective efforts at increasing and sustaining the pool of voluntary unpaid donors. Ladies and gentlemen of the press. I implore you to create the necessary awareness about voluntary blood donation so that those that have been skeptical thus far about voluntary unpaid blood donation would improve their knowledge and therefore change their beliefs and behavior and join those gift of blood continues to save lives.
Thank you for being present at this occasion. As you leave here, please pass on the message, safe blood saves lives. Donate blood and save lives.
Thank you and may God bless us all
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Our Health System: Matters Arising
By Babatunde Osotimehin, 06.05.2009
Our health situation has lately invited us to ponder on steps to take in initiating immediate and long term solution. Without sounding immodest, the leadership of the Health Ministry understands the urgency of our situation and is responding with its entire zeal, within the broader spirit of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua administration’s promise of efficient service delivery.
We understand the recent threat of swine flu, and the subsisting presence of Lassa fever, cerebrospinal meningitis, and polio situation, amongst others. Overall, we are saying, it is important to improve our health care delivery system. In fact, our Primary Health Care system does need rejuvenation. We have been working at this, as it is important to focus on nearly every area of our health care system, not least so is maternal and child health. To bring about this improvement, I have said it elsewhere; it will need an alert from all tiers of government, particularly the state and the local. Resources would then have to be adequately provided, while human resources should not be lacking. Then the management of drugs and consumables have to be better than it is, apart from the institution of a good referral system. What should stop us from achieving these? Absolutely nothing really.
I say nothing if we are determined as a people. There is absolutely nothing that a collective will cannot make us achieve. By encouraging our health workers who labour across the length and breadth of the country, without being celebrated, we should have taken a significant step forward. Human resources galvanize. It drives processes to the desired level, and may be undermined only at our own peril. This cannot happen at a time we are even striving to accomplish a significant programme, which is the 7-point agenda of President Yar’Adua. We understand that the Nigerian health system and the health status of the citizens are experiencing a low rating from the estimation of the World Health Organisation. But like I have been saying, we can collectively increase our ranking.
On the part of the government, we are already providing the required energy in the system, through a repositioning of the environment and the leadership to enable the right contribution from all. Then we are seeking to improve our health service delivery not only via a holistic change in our Primary Health Care, but by strengthening referrals with secondary and tertiary institutions to reduce the disease burden that would then shore up the countries’ health status.
Besides, we are enhancing the financial resource mobilization through the expansion of the NHIS and other Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement. Then again, we are enhancing the coordinating role of the ministry and its interface with states and local governments, while also providing the much needed improvement in its overall performance. This is because the requisite human resources must be ready in all its right combination, just as the skewed distribution of workforce need to be dealt with. More than this, because one of the key weaknesses in the Nigeria’s health system is the lack of data to guide planning, a strengthened Health Management system is necessary to provide this needed data. Rest assured that the ministry is working on urgent steps to strengthen HMIS.
In the area of communication and public relations management, we are mobilizing and galvanizing public support for increased personal responsibility for health through utilization of preventive and health promotive services. The media is crucial in this role, which is why we are utilizing several media to ensure that timely and comprehensive evidence-based information about its activities are made available to build broad-based understanding of and foster acceptance and support for the new strategic agenda of the ministry and government.
Without any doubt, the above elements of our stewardship over the next 24 months or so are also being worked into the much broader and long term national strategic health development plan.
Importantly, we started the process of developing a costed National Health Investment Plan. At the same time, we were embarking on a parallel initiative, a follow-on programme to the Health Sector Reform Programme (2003-2007), as the health sector contribution to NEEDS2. This was just before NEEDS was re-christened by government as the National Development Plan (NDP).
The two initiatives: Health Investment Plan; and the Health Sector/NEEDS2 initiatives have now been harmonized into the preparation of a National Strategic Health Development Framework and Plan (NHSDP) process that is being led by the Federal Ministry of Health working with all the states, development partners, and non-state actors, amongst others. This process is currently being managed via the Health System Forum, and has attracted participation from many.
The NSHDP is aimed at a single country health plan, a single results framework, a single policy matrix and a costed plan that will be the basis for funding. There are also one single policy matrix; one costed plan that will be the basis for funding; one single mutual monitoring and reporting process; one single country-based appraisal and validation process for country health plan; one single fiduciary framework; benchmarks for government performance, benchmarks for development partner performance; agreement on aid modalities; and process for resolution of non-performance and disputes. These are the cross cutting principles of the IHP+ built on the Paris Declaration on Aids Effectiveness.
We recognize that domestic funding should make a significant contribution in meeting the challenges for Health-MDGs. Thus, the government has steadily improved on its funding support for Health-MDGs in recent years: N15 billion in 2008; and N22.5 billion proposed for 2009. We are internally challenged by issues of efficiency and in spending wisely and we are thus looking for technical assistance in this regards, especially in building capacity for power costing for Health-MDGs, and in innovative mechanisms that offer tremendous potential to save lives through new and creative solutions. Domestic funding alone is unlikely to meet all the challenges of funding Health-MDGs. We also remain concerned on whether or not we are making real progress in terms of the indicators.
Arguably, the greatest burden of disease in Nigeria is attributable to the index diseases of HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculoses (ATM), and the diseases are at the heart the Health-MDGs Global compact. As mentioned above, the level of resources, both from within and external, to fight these diseases has increased steadily.
However, the national response remains complex and confusing with multiple overlaps and poor coordination. Progress has been very slow. We certainly can do far more and we intend to do so. For this reason, a task force on ATM has been established, under my direct supervision, as part of a renewed spirited effort to ensure visible progress on Health-MDGs.
Membership of the task force are drawn from the Federal Ministry of Health, other Federal Ministries (National Planning, Ministry of Finance/Budget Office), and representative of state MOHs, members from cooperating partners active in ATM, representatives from civil society, and representatives from private sector bodies.
The committee has focal point persons from the Federal Ministry of Health to assist in both technical and administrative work of the committee. I shall be the Chairman, with the Honourable Minister of State for Health serving as Alternate Chairman and member of the committee. Importantly, we have since moved forward, and we are continuing in this trend. Constant review and determination as exemplified in the President Yar’Adua’s directive remain our top priority and we shall not shirk our responsibility in this respect. You can count on us.
• Prof. Osotimehin is Minister of Health.
Our health situation has lately invited us to ponder on steps to take in initiating immediate and long term solution. Without sounding immodest, the leadership of the Health Ministry understands the urgency of our situation and is responding with its entire zeal, within the broader spirit of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua administration’s promise of efficient service delivery.
We understand the recent threat of swine flu, and the subsisting presence of Lassa fever, cerebrospinal meningitis, and polio situation, amongst others. Overall, we are saying, it is important to improve our health care delivery system. In fact, our Primary Health Care system does need rejuvenation. We have been working at this, as it is important to focus on nearly every area of our health care system, not least so is maternal and child health. To bring about this improvement, I have said it elsewhere; it will need an alert from all tiers of government, particularly the state and the local. Resources would then have to be adequately provided, while human resources should not be lacking. Then the management of drugs and consumables have to be better than it is, apart from the institution of a good referral system. What should stop us from achieving these? Absolutely nothing really.
I say nothing if we are determined as a people. There is absolutely nothing that a collective will cannot make us achieve. By encouraging our health workers who labour across the length and breadth of the country, without being celebrated, we should have taken a significant step forward. Human resources galvanize. It drives processes to the desired level, and may be undermined only at our own peril. This cannot happen at a time we are even striving to accomplish a significant programme, which is the 7-point agenda of President Yar’Adua. We understand that the Nigerian health system and the health status of the citizens are experiencing a low rating from the estimation of the World Health Organisation. But like I have been saying, we can collectively increase our ranking.
On the part of the government, we are already providing the required energy in the system, through a repositioning of the environment and the leadership to enable the right contribution from all. Then we are seeking to improve our health service delivery not only via a holistic change in our Primary Health Care, but by strengthening referrals with secondary and tertiary institutions to reduce the disease burden that would then shore up the countries’ health status.
Besides, we are enhancing the financial resource mobilization through the expansion of the NHIS and other Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement. Then again, we are enhancing the coordinating role of the ministry and its interface with states and local governments, while also providing the much needed improvement in its overall performance. This is because the requisite human resources must be ready in all its right combination, just as the skewed distribution of workforce need to be dealt with. More than this, because one of the key weaknesses in the Nigeria’s health system is the lack of data to guide planning, a strengthened Health Management system is necessary to provide this needed data. Rest assured that the ministry is working on urgent steps to strengthen HMIS.
In the area of communication and public relations management, we are mobilizing and galvanizing public support for increased personal responsibility for health through utilization of preventive and health promotive services. The media is crucial in this role, which is why we are utilizing several media to ensure that timely and comprehensive evidence-based information about its activities are made available to build broad-based understanding of and foster acceptance and support for the new strategic agenda of the ministry and government.
Without any doubt, the above elements of our stewardship over the next 24 months or so are also being worked into the much broader and long term national strategic health development plan.
Importantly, we started the process of developing a costed National Health Investment Plan. At the same time, we were embarking on a parallel initiative, a follow-on programme to the Health Sector Reform Programme (2003-2007), as the health sector contribution to NEEDS2. This was just before NEEDS was re-christened by government as the National Development Plan (NDP).
The two initiatives: Health Investment Plan; and the Health Sector/NEEDS2 initiatives have now been harmonized into the preparation of a National Strategic Health Development Framework and Plan (NHSDP) process that is being led by the Federal Ministry of Health working with all the states, development partners, and non-state actors, amongst others. This process is currently being managed via the Health System Forum, and has attracted participation from many.
The NSHDP is aimed at a single country health plan, a single results framework, a single policy matrix and a costed plan that will be the basis for funding. There are also one single policy matrix; one costed plan that will be the basis for funding; one single mutual monitoring and reporting process; one single country-based appraisal and validation process for country health plan; one single fiduciary framework; benchmarks for government performance, benchmarks for development partner performance; agreement on aid modalities; and process for resolution of non-performance and disputes. These are the cross cutting principles of the IHP+ built on the Paris Declaration on Aids Effectiveness.
We recognize that domestic funding should make a significant contribution in meeting the challenges for Health-MDGs. Thus, the government has steadily improved on its funding support for Health-MDGs in recent years: N15 billion in 2008; and N22.5 billion proposed for 2009. We are internally challenged by issues of efficiency and in spending wisely and we are thus looking for technical assistance in this regards, especially in building capacity for power costing for Health-MDGs, and in innovative mechanisms that offer tremendous potential to save lives through new and creative solutions. Domestic funding alone is unlikely to meet all the challenges of funding Health-MDGs. We also remain concerned on whether or not we are making real progress in terms of the indicators.
Arguably, the greatest burden of disease in Nigeria is attributable to the index diseases of HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculoses (ATM), and the diseases are at the heart the Health-MDGs Global compact. As mentioned above, the level of resources, both from within and external, to fight these diseases has increased steadily.
However, the national response remains complex and confusing with multiple overlaps and poor coordination. Progress has been very slow. We certainly can do far more and we intend to do so. For this reason, a task force on ATM has been established, under my direct supervision, as part of a renewed spirited effort to ensure visible progress on Health-MDGs.
Membership of the task force are drawn from the Federal Ministry of Health, other Federal Ministries (National Planning, Ministry of Finance/Budget Office), and representative of state MOHs, members from cooperating partners active in ATM, representatives from civil society, and representatives from private sector bodies.
The committee has focal point persons from the Federal Ministry of Health to assist in both technical and administrative work of the committee. I shall be the Chairman, with the Honourable Minister of State for Health serving as Alternate Chairman and member of the committee. Importantly, we have since moved forward, and we are continuing in this trend. Constant review and determination as exemplified in the President Yar’Adua’s directive remain our top priority and we shall not shirk our responsibility in this respect. You can count on us.
• Prof. Osotimehin is Minister of Health.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
HEALTH MINISTER TASKS WORKERS ON NATIONAL HEALTH PLAN
In the bid to ensure the realization of providing quality health care to all
Nigerians by the year 2011, the Nigerian Minister of Health Professor Babatunde Osotimehin has called on the health workers to give in the their total best as the move for the strategic Agenda for Health goes on.
He made this call during a retreat on the finalization of the Ministry’s Health Agenda in Abuja yesterday with the staff, Head of Departments, Directors and Permanent secretary of the ministry.
The Minister said, the strategy which sets an agenda to revitalize the health system in Nigeria within 24 months realistic plan and incorporating long term components to be bequeathed for future implementation and would take health to people with primary Health Care that works would only be realizable through the commitment and dedication of all the stakeholders. Adding that, it is only by following the Agenda for health that progress can be measured.
The Agenda for health of the Ministry of health when fully implemented will provide specific efforts directed at nurturing inter sectoral collaboration and coordination that will address a coordinated response to National Health Emergencies and other health related issues.
Osotimehin added that the ministry will take measures to improve the understanding of the citizenry on their health education and public enlightment to promote access to quality, affordable and accessible health care services while ensuring the greater protection and safety of citizens utilizing services.
Nigerians by the year 2011, the Nigerian Minister of Health Professor Babatunde Osotimehin has called on the health workers to give in the their total best as the move for the strategic Agenda for Health goes on.
He made this call during a retreat on the finalization of the Ministry’s Health Agenda in Abuja yesterday with the staff, Head of Departments, Directors and Permanent secretary of the ministry.
The Minister said, the strategy which sets an agenda to revitalize the health system in Nigeria within 24 months realistic plan and incorporating long term components to be bequeathed for future implementation and would take health to people with primary Health Care that works would only be realizable through the commitment and dedication of all the stakeholders. Adding that, it is only by following the Agenda for health that progress can be measured.
The Agenda for health of the Ministry of health when fully implemented will provide specific efforts directed at nurturing inter sectoral collaboration and coordination that will address a coordinated response to National Health Emergencies and other health related issues.
Osotimehin added that the ministry will take measures to improve the understanding of the citizenry on their health education and public enlightment to promote access to quality, affordable and accessible health care services while ensuring the greater protection and safety of citizens utilizing services.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Health Minister Flags off Immunization Campaign.
Mother Theresa Children’s Home located in Gwarinpa Abuja played host to the Minister of Health, Professor Babatunde Osotimehin yesterday in Abuja when the Minister visited the home to kick off May/June 2009 Immunization Day Plus (IPD) exercise.
The second phase of the Immunization Plus Day is coming on the heel of the first one that recorded significant record of coverage as the areas that were considered as non receptive have fully embraced the immunization initiative. It will be recalled that Nigeria has implemented six rounds of Supplemental Immunization Campaigns, three of which have been national achieving 90% increase to 627 from 550 coverage of July 2008 of the 774 Local Governments Areas, thus leading to significant decline in the number of unvaccinated children.
Osotimehin, while immunizing the children at the home praised the management of the home for their excellent practices in hygiene and proper care of the children and promised Government supports to the running of the home which he described as a selfless model for other homes. “The babies are very healthy, the home is well managed and the sanitation level is very high and encouraging, it is therefore our duty to ensure government’s supports for the orphanage.” he added.
The director of the Mother Theresa Children Home, Yeye Bolanle Dare thanked the minister for choosing the home to flag off the Immunization Plus Day exercise and assured the minister of the home continuous and proper care for the children.
The minister informed journalists that this phase of the campaign is to follow the dramatic improvement in population immunity registered in Kano state where for the first time ever, the children never vaccinated, reduced to less than 20%. The campaign which is to cover all the Local Government Areas in Nigeria would last for one week.
The second phase of the Immunization Plus Day is coming on the heel of the first one that recorded significant record of coverage as the areas that were considered as non receptive have fully embraced the immunization initiative. It will be recalled that Nigeria has implemented six rounds of Supplemental Immunization Campaigns, three of which have been national achieving 90% increase to 627 from 550 coverage of July 2008 of the 774 Local Governments Areas, thus leading to significant decline in the number of unvaccinated children.
Osotimehin, while immunizing the children at the home praised the management of the home for their excellent practices in hygiene and proper care of the children and promised Government supports to the running of the home which he described as a selfless model for other homes. “The babies are very healthy, the home is well managed and the sanitation level is very high and encouraging, it is therefore our duty to ensure government’s supports for the orphanage.” he added.
The director of the Mother Theresa Children Home, Yeye Bolanle Dare thanked the minister for choosing the home to flag off the Immunization Plus Day exercise and assured the minister of the home continuous and proper care for the children.
The minister informed journalists that this phase of the campaign is to follow the dramatic improvement in population immunity registered in Kano state where for the first time ever, the children never vaccinated, reduced to less than 20%. The campaign which is to cover all the Local Government Areas in Nigeria would last for one week.
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