• Friday, March 29, 2024
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Nigeria should allocate 15% of its annual budget to health – Atueyi

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Nigeria’s health sector has been stagnating and experts believe it could be fixed in order to help citizens of Africa’s most populous nation access better healthcare delivery.

To achieve this, the founder of Pharma news journal, Ifeanyi Atueyi has said that there should be collaboration among health professionals and the general public to strengthen Nigeria’s health system.

He made the assertion as the health journal marked its 40th anniversary in Nigeria commemorating the country’s Independence Day anniversary, October 1, 2019.

“We have done well in the health sector, but the point is that we can do better. Nigeria’s health sector is still not where it should be,” Atueyi said. “The government needs to improve in the budgetary allocation to the sector; it should be at least 15 percent.”

Atueyi, who also marked his 80th birthday launched his book titled “My Life and Pharmanews,” said that 40 years in the life of an organisation is a testimony of God’s abundant mercies.

“Words indeed cannot express how grateful I am to God who has helped us to publish Pharmanews monthly without interruption for 40 years,” he said.

Also speaking at the event Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, former Minister of Health, said it is a special day for Nigerian and the state, from which the celebrant comes, for himself as a professional, for his family and the company, Pharmanews.

Adelusi-Adeluyi who also spoke on the progress of the health sector said that as far as the sector is concerned, the fundamental problem is the need to call for team work among all the members of the health team in the ministry of health.

“We are getting tired because everybody is still struggling for supremacy – the various professional persons are different, but together we should make the patients our one centrepiece.”

He said, “My message is that the new ministers should seize every opportunity to ensure that team work exists across and among all practitioners in the health field. We don’t have to wait for government to start setting up committees for that, and for this to bring them together, let the minister take the initiative, call them together.”

“Once there is team work the health of the population will be better. And all of us who are common people can enjoy health census,” added Adelusi-Adeluyi.

Adelusi-Adeluyi further noted that privatisation is a very tricky thing; it needs a very strategic approach. “I will suggest that the new ministers should be part of a wholesome strategy.”

 

ANTHONIA OBOKOH