FG eyes Brazil’s health success as model for universal healthcare drive

By Kunle Sanni –

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and expanding Nigeria’s healthcare value chain through global partnerships, with Brazil’s health system identified as a key model for reforms.

Speaking at the second session of the Nigeria–Brazil Strategic Dialogue Mechanism in Abuja on Tuesday, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, unveiled wide-ranging reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (HSRII). He also proposed a formal framework to deepen health cooperation between the two countries.

Dr. Salako stated that the administration’s health agenda rests on four pillars: effective governance, equitable and quality health systems, unlocking the healthcare value chain, and strengthening health security. These are supported by digitalisation, strategic financing, and workforce transformation.

“President Tinubu’s administration is prioritising the health sector through an expanded budget — with a 52% increase in just two years — and the implementation of 21 strategic policies aimed at strengthening the system and boosting local pharmaceutical production,” Salako said.

In the first quarter of 2025 alone, over 37 million Nigerians benefited from major improvements in primary healthcare. Workforce reforms have accelerated recruitment processes, enabled task-shifting, and provided enhanced training for health workers. Health insurance coverage has increased by 15% over the past year, with new schemes introduced for vulnerable groups.

In addition, the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) has undergone reforms that improved transparency and accelerated fund disbursement, ensuring resources are allocated more efficiently. The government has also prioritised local production, with 87 local manufacturers now benefiting from incentives under the Presidential Initiative to Unlock the Health Value Chain (PVAC).

Dr. Salako described Brazil’s Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) — which provides free healthcare to 70% of Brazilians and has reduced infant mortality by 77% since 1990 — as a blueprint for Nigeria’s healthcare ambitions.

“Brazil’s success with family health teams, generic drug policies, and world-class pharmaceutical production offers us a roadmap for local solutions,” he said.