We are committed to improving women, children, adolescents’ health  – Minister

The Federal Government is committed to improving the well-being of women, children, adolescents and the elderly in Nigeria, Health Minister Osagie Ehanire has said.

Ehanire made this known in Abuja  at the first Bi-Annual meeting on the Reproductive Maternal Newborn Child Adolescent and Elderly Health plus Nutrition (RMNCAEH+N).

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the RMNCAEH+N, which was launched in October 2020, is  a multi-stakeholder partnership coordination platform which would harmonise the health interventions of the government and health partners to reduce wastage and channel funds to get the desired result to achieve Universal Health Care Coverage.

The platform brings together a wider cross-sector of partners and traditional leaders to address the gaps in achieving effective overall coordination of RMNCAEH+N issues by harnessing the relative strengths of individual players to leverage resources, reduce duplication and induce speed towards maximized health outcomes.

Ehanire said that the health of mother and child was a strategic measure of national development and remained topical in global developmental priorities.

“I note the modest progress we have made since we launched this platform, such as development of an Annual Operational Plan at about 90 per cent completion.

“Other notable accomplishments include strengthened partnership with Federal Ministry of Health parastatals like the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).

”These partnerships were demonstrated by the harmonisation of Community Health Influencers, Promoters and Services (CHIPS) programme,which was launched during the PHC summit.

“We also inaugurated the Ministerial committee on provision of health insurance for retirees and older persons, that ensures the elderly are not left behind, and the report has been submitted,” he said.

The minister said that as part of RMNCAEH+N commitments, the Federal Government was working to ensure availability of family planning commodities and services, by launching the FP2030 commitment.

He said that the commitment was aimed to increase domestic funding and sustainable financing through earmarking of one per cent health budgets, at federal and state levels.

“We are optimistic that Nigeria will attain its vision with a strategy that allows eligible citizens to make informed  choices.

“Such eligible  people  include adolescents, young people, and vulnerable populations. They will na able to make informed choices and get equitable, affordable access to quality Family Planning and participation in national development.

“This is the goal of the FP2030 commitment,” he said.

NAN reports that the RMNCAEH+N platform brings together a wider cross-sector of partners and traditional leaders to address the gaps in achieving effective, overall coordination on issues by harnessing the relative strengths of individual players to leverage resources, reduce duplication and induce speed towards maximised health outcomes. (NAN)