Nigeria’s Minister of Health, Professor Babatunde Osotimehin, has been appointed to chair the committee on financing for Health Research and the establishment of a public health emergency fund for the African region.
Professor Osotimehin’s appointment at a recent World Health Organisation (WHO) African regional conference in Kigali, Rwanda, followed the unanimous calls for an urgent need to address the dwindling funding of the African Region by the WHO.
The minister’s Special Adviser on Communications, Mr. Niyi Ojuolape informed that the committee which comprises Health Ministers from Angola, Burundi, Cameroun, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Lesotho, Equatorial Guinea, South Africa and Nigeria is coming on the heels of the grave concern to the issues of maternal mortality and the H1N1 pandemic among others in the region.
According to him, these, among others “have been recognized as suffering from lack of a clear source of international funding like we have in the case of the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM)”.
Deliberating on the need for the Public Health Emergency Funds for Region and modalities for its establishment and implementation mechanisms, he said the Health Ministers emphasized the urgent need for this intervention following the sparse allocation of the regular annual budget of the African Regional Office that are designed for specific programmes and cannot be utilized for other programmes.
He stressed that the public health needs of the African Region and the current global financial meltdown makes the establishment inevitable as this would address the looming funding gap in coming years.
As part of its resolutions, the committee mandated articulate clear justifications for the funding drawing on specific example of contingencies that would necessitate the application of such funds to tackle issues like the H1N1 pandemic and AAVP.
The committee also considered that in establishing the fund, there should be flexibility in determining which programmes areas the funds could be utilized for and the percentage of the fund that could be committed to a specific programme.
This, the minister’s aide said was in recognition of the fact that public health priorities change over time. It was understood that the fund should basically constitute additional funding for targeted priority areas.
The fund, it was agreed would be developed based on voluntary
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Presidential Health Summit holds in Oct –Osotimehin
The Minister of Health, Professor Babatunde Osotimehin has disclosed that a Presidential Summit on Health would be held in October as part of the Federal Government’s efforts to improve the health care system.
Professor Osotimehin also informed that the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s administration had concluded plans to upgrade four teaching hospitals to international standard before the end of this year.
Speaking at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory recently, the minister added that the government would also upgrade seven specialist hospitals in Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Enugu and Abeokuta respectively.
He listed the four hospitals that would be upgraded to first class facilities as the National Hospital, Abuja; University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan; Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria and the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu.
Similarly, Professor Osotimehin said the Federal Executive Council had approved the provision of new technologies for various hospitals to upgrade them in the country, including the National Orthopaedic Hospitals in Igbobi, Lagos and Dala in Kano respectively.
The minister explained that the government’s efforts were aimed at building people’s confidence in the nation’s hospitals and reduces their travelling abroad for medical treatment.
According to him, travelling overseas for medical treatment by Nigerians was not solution to the country’s health care problems.
Professor Osotimehin who maintained that many Nigerian hospitals now have facilities for the treatment of most illness and diseases commonly referred abroad, stressed the need to increase the awareness about the facilities for the benefit of the people.
He also informed that the Federal Government was “devoting resources to building human capacity to do these things”, adding that “it is not enough for you
Professor Osotimehin also informed that the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s administration had concluded plans to upgrade four teaching hospitals to international standard before the end of this year.
Speaking at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory recently, the minister added that the government would also upgrade seven specialist hospitals in Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Enugu and Abeokuta respectively.
He listed the four hospitals that would be upgraded to first class facilities as the National Hospital, Abuja; University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan; Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria and the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu.
Similarly, Professor Osotimehin said the Federal Executive Council had approved the provision of new technologies for various hospitals to upgrade them in the country, including the National Orthopaedic Hospitals in Igbobi, Lagos and Dala in Kano respectively.
The minister explained that the government’s efforts were aimed at building people’s confidence in the nation’s hospitals and reduces their travelling abroad for medical treatment.
According to him, travelling overseas for medical treatment by Nigerians was not solution to the country’s health care problems.
Professor Osotimehin who maintained that many Nigerian hospitals now have facilities for the treatment of most illness and diseases commonly referred abroad, stressed the need to increase the awareness about the facilities for the benefit of the people.
He also informed that the Federal Government was “devoting resources to building human capacity to do these things”, adding that “it is not enough for you
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Swine flu: FG advises Muslim pilgrims
The Federal Government has advised intending pilgrims to this year’s Hajj “to be careful and take preventive measures against swine flu so that they do not get infected”.
Health Minister, Professor Babatunde Osotimehin, while speaking at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja recently, expressed the government’s concern on the disease, but assured that the present administration would continue to improve the health care services.
According to him, the Federal Ministry of Health was working the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and the Embassy of Saudi Arabia to provide information about swine flu for the pilgrims to avoid infection.
“As we go into the Hajj season, we are worried about the large numbers as swine flu is transmitted very easily when people gather together.
“But if they do get infected, we are also working with the medical team, both at the state and federal, that will go with them so that they can be prepared to look after them if any of them falls sick.
“Beyond that, we are also going to wait to receive them because you can actually catch it and on your return, you then infect many more people. At the reception site, we give them adequate education and treatment”, Professor Osotimehin explained.
The Saudi Arabian authorities had recently reported to have demanded that all pilgrims must be immunized against the swine flu before being allowed to perform this year’s Hajj in their country.
But the minister, while reacting to the development, said vaccines for the disease were not yet available in Africa, appealing to the World Health Organisation (WHO) to give the continent first priority whenever they are made available.
On polio, Professor Osotimehin said the ministry was working with traditional rulers to rid Nigeria of the disease, pointing out that “we have seen a great difference in terms of the immunization of children in our communities”.
“We have been working with the Sultan of Sokoto who is extremely helpful; we have set up a committee of 17 to 19 Emirs in the North who are working with us as a task force to eliminate polio and to also establish primary health care centres”, the minister explained.
Health Minister, Professor Babatunde Osotimehin, while speaking at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja recently, expressed the government’s concern on the disease, but assured that the present administration would continue to improve the health care services.
According to him, the Federal Ministry of Health was working the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and the Embassy of Saudi Arabia to provide information about swine flu for the pilgrims to avoid infection.
“As we go into the Hajj season, we are worried about the large numbers as swine flu is transmitted very easily when people gather together.
“But if they do get infected, we are also working with the medical team, both at the state and federal, that will go with them so that they can be prepared to look after them if any of them falls sick.
“Beyond that, we are also going to wait to receive them because you can actually catch it and on your return, you then infect many more people. At the reception site, we give them adequate education and treatment”, Professor Osotimehin explained.
The Saudi Arabian authorities had recently reported to have demanded that all pilgrims must be immunized against the swine flu before being allowed to perform this year’s Hajj in their country.
But the minister, while reacting to the development, said vaccines for the disease were not yet available in Africa, appealing to the World Health Organisation (WHO) to give the continent first priority whenever they are made available.
On polio, Professor Osotimehin said the ministry was working with traditional rulers to rid Nigeria of the disease, pointing out that “we have seen a great difference in terms of the immunization of children in our communities”.
“We have been working with the Sultan of Sokoto who is extremely helpful; we have set up a committee of 17 to 19 Emirs in the North who are working with us as a task force to eliminate polio and to also establish primary health care centres”, the minister explained.
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