The Federal Government has called for optimisation of healthcare governance to reduce fragmentation within government institutions, and ensure better coordination between stakeholders in the healthcare sector.
Muyi Aina, Executive Secretary/CEO, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) made the call on Tuesday in Abuja, during the first panel of a policy dialogue focuses on Optimising Healthcare Governance for Effective Policy Implementation.
The dialogue focused on sustainable health system reforms in Nigeria, themed “Private Sector Support for SWAP (Sector Wide Approach) in Healthcare.
The dialogue, organised by the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN), a coalition of private sector stakeholders, aimed to address the multifaceted challenges plaguing Nigeria’s healthcare system.
Aina was represented, Oritseweyimi Ogbe, Chief Medical Officer, NPHCDA.
He said that lack of collaboration often led to the duplication of efforts and wasteful resource utilisation, thus affecting the sustainability of health initiatives.
He examined the current healthcare policies, such as immunisation drives, maternal and child health programs, and primary healthcare improvements, which could benefit from this integrated approach.
He discussed the critical role of stakeholders, including NGOs, international partners, and local communities, in working with the government to ensure policies are executed efficiently.
The NPHCDA boss called for governance structures that not only implement policies but also ensure their long-term sustainability by addressing inefficiencies and resource constraints.
Dr Ben Nkechika, Managing Director, Consultant on Health, Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), said that LGAs in the country were not responsible for primary health centers; they were responsible for primary healthcare services.
Nkechika said that it was critical for the government to put proper systems in place.
He said that such proper systems would ensure that people had access to quality health services which is essential for effective service delivery.
Dr Anne Adah-Ogoh, Head of Policy and Programs at Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PSHAN), said that the country needed to shift its perspective on health.
Adah-Ogoh said that people should move from viewing it solely as an emotional issue to recognising it as a vital business sector with the potential for significant returns on investment.
She said that seeing health as a business, the country can unlock resources and innovations that enhance patient care and contribute to economic growth and an increase in GDP.
Stakeholders in the health sector have said that lack of coordination had led to inefficiencies in resource allocation, duplication of efforts and misaligned priorities that fail to address the most pressing health challenges.
This is where the Sector Wide Approach (SWAp) becomes relevant and urgently needed.
SWAp offers a transformative shift by bringing all stakeholders, like government, donors, NGOs and the private sector under a unified policy and planning framework.
This is to ensure that development efforts in the health sector are coordinated, align with national priorities and led by the Nigerian government.
Given the crucial role of SWAp in transforming health systems towards better outcomes for all, the private sector can contribute to ensuring the effective implementation of this initiative
Pamela Ajayi, President of the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN), said that the federation was driven by the urgency of achieving Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria.
Ajayi said that the dialogue sought to explore how the private sector can contribute to the effective implementation of the SWAp initiative, ultimately improving health outcomes nationwide.
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