Tinubu has approved initiative to unlock healthcare value chain – Pate
The Minister of Health, Prof. Ali Pate, has revealed that President Bola Tinubu has approved a landmark health initiative aimed at unlocking the value chain threatening the health sector in the country.
Pate said this on Wednesday while briefing State House correspondents at the presidential villa in Abuja after a meeting with the president alongside Seniat Fisseha, the Buffett Foundation’s Vice President for Global Programmes.
The minister said the scheme will help drive the medical industrialisation agenda with clear targets.
He added that the initiative would require a public sector-private sector working hand in hand.
“The second item is to unlock the value chain in the healthcare space. Mr President has also approved an initiative presidential initiative to unlock the healthcare value chain, that will help drive the medical industrialisation agenda with clear targets. It will require public sector-private sector working hand in hand.
“Government do what it needs to do to provide the enabling environment and the private sector getting his act together to ensure that we produce the things that are critical for the health and well being of Nigeria while creating economic value and creating jobs,” Pate said.
He also said funds from the basic healthcare provision fund will be utilised to revitalise Nigeria’s primary health care centres around the country.
The minister also revealed that issues affecting the current state of the PHCs that would be addressed would involve malaria, immunisation, maternal and child health, and reproductive health.
Mr Pate also disclosed that Ms Fisseha of the Buffett Foundation would be partnering with the government of Nigeria to advance the health and well being of all, especially our adolescent girls and women.
“In recent few days he has approved three important steps for us to move forward with that. And has asked us to talk less and do more. And in that spirit he in fact, has asked us to pursue a very ambitious sector-wide programme to improve population health outcomes, using the basic healthcare provision fund as a basis for reviving our primary health care system, working with state governments and community leaders, traditional leaders to ensure that Nigerians get better quality services to deal with the issues that bother them, whether it’s malaria, whether it’s immunisation, maternal and child health, reproductive health, those are elements that have a direct bearing on the health and well being of Nigerians with the State governments and with our development partners.
“So that sector-wide program is underway and our visitor today is committed to working with us in that, to work with countries system’s not set up parallel systems. And we’re very glad that the Susan-Buffett foundation is willing to partner with the Government of Nigeria to advance the health and well being of all, especially our adolescent girls and women.”
Ms Fisseha in her remarks said, “We’re absolutely excited to partner with the Government of Nigeria. The renewed hope, campaign and commitment is exciting global partners are to say how do we align with the government?
“Our foundation particularly focus on women and girls, but also basic primary health care and meeting governments and communities and partners where they are. So we are extremely excited. I don’t want to duplicate what has been said.
“I do like the President’s direction on talking less and doing more and getting to action. So our hope is that we will be a committed partner to supporting the federal as well as state governments and communities to deliver health for all so thank you very much for the opportunity today.”
