Mutual relationship key to addressing health challenges — Forum

Dr Oyebanji Filani, Chairman, Nigeria Health Commissioners Forum on Friday reiterated the need for the members to work together to tackle the challenges in the sector for mutual benefits.

Filani said this at a retreat of Commissioners for Health from the 36 states and FCT in Abuja to discuss the challenges confronting the health sector in the states.

According to him, the meeting was convened to ensure that all inter disciplinary agencies on health issues work together.

He said that the theme of the meeting, tagged “top team effectiveness retreat”, was adopted because governance and leadership were key components to the development of the sector.

Filami said: “If we are able to get the leaders of different agencies to align themselves and programme officers are put to work in accordance to laid down rules to achieve a common vision, things will work.

“To do this kind of programme, it is important we have a clear idea of what the problems are, understand the roles, processes, goals and interdisciplinary engagement to tackle this problem across board.

“We have already carried out research on some of these challenges, we have sat down to review some of the findings and prefer solutions on them.

“This retreat will focus on looking at the findings and agree jointly, and ensure there is a clear alignment and pure engagement across board.”

Filani said that commissioners and other health executives would continue to encourage people at the state level to take proactive action against COVID-19.

Prof. Mohammed Alhaji, Commissioner of Health and Human Services, Borno, called for focus, collaboration and integration of health programmes among health stakeholders within states.

He urged that all health stakeholders in states should work as a team, adding that the research carried out by Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and commissioners’ research team identified lack of coordination between health officers.

Dr Halima Mijinyawa, Executive Secretary, Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency emphasised the need to achieve a common goal among all health stakeholders in the states.

She stated that there was a need to look at the communication gaps and find a possible solution to it for the benefit of the sector in the states.

Earlier, Mr Asishana Okauru, the Director-General, NGF’, stated that effective leadership of health MDAs at the sub-national level was a critical ingredient for the attainment of the vision of NGF.

According to him, the initiative relates to the quest to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Sustainable Development Goal 3.

Okaunu said: “As you are aware, the NGF launched the Primary Health Care (PHC) leadership challenge fund in Aug. 2022 as part of its commitment to strengthen the PHC system at the sub-national level, which is a key gateway to achieving UHC in the country.

“This leadership challenge requires that the leaders of the health MDAs in each of the states work collaboratively and harmoniously towards the common goal.

“This goal is to ensure that every citizen has access to the health they need without financial difficulty.”

Okauru said that the research also documented best practices that could be reinforced and scaled up to other states.

“I would like to commend the team of consultants for facilitating this feat. I will also like to commend commissioners of health for their commitment to the health system at the sub-national level,” he said.

Okauru enjoined the stakeholders to ensure that their deliberation came in the right direction for the benefit of the health sector across board.