The federal government has announced a strategic plan to overhaul Nigeria’s health sector.

The government said this would be achieved through the National Health Sector Renewal Initiative (NHSRII) and the Health Sector Strategic Blueprint 2024-2027 to address long-standing systemic challenges.

Muntaqa Sadiq, the national coordinator of the Sector-Wide Coordinating Office – T Programme Management Unit (SCO-PMU), disclosed this in an interview with journalists on Sunday in Abuja.

Mr Sadiq said the new framework was designed to tackle critical issues plaguing the healthcare system, including inadequate infrastructure, shortage of healthcare professionals, and poor financing.

“This follows a series of alarming reports highlighting how far Nigeria falls short of global standards in healthcare provision.

“Even more troubling is that 50 per cent of X-ray machines in government hospitals are not functioning, and Nigeria has only 23.3 doctors per 100,000 people. This is far below the WHO guideline of 100 doctors per 100,000,” he said.

He said the government was addressing these structural and systemic challenges head-on.

Mr Sadiq said NHSRII would leverage partnerships with the private sector and development partners to close these gaps and improve health outcomes for all Nigerians.

According to him, at the heart of the NHSRII is the SWAp, a management framework “aimed at improving coordination across federal, state, and local governments, as well as engaging with development partners and the private sector.”

He said the SWAp focused on ensuring “One Plan, One Budget, One Report, and One Conversation”, creating a cohesive system where all stakeholders align their efforts to meet shared health priorities.

Mr Sadiq said the plan’s comprehensive nature would ensure no sector was left behind in achieving Nigeria’s health goals.

“Key actions under the initiative include expanding primary healthcare centres (PHCs) and ensuring at least one comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care (CEmONC) facility per local government area (LGA).

“The blueprint also aims to address the fragmented and inefficient health supply chains, which have resulted in 41 per cent stock-out rates for family planning commodities.

“By integrating and streamlining procurement systems, we expect to see a significant reduction in stock-outs and a more reliable supply of essential medicines,” he said.

Mr Sadiq said human resources for health remained a top priority in the blueprint, with a focus on addressing the acute shortage of medical personnel.

“The blueprint includes plans to improve training for healthcare workers through digital solutions and expand partnerships with the private sector to increase the production of healthcare professionals.

“Additionally, the initiative is set to tackle poor healthcare infrastructure, rehabilitate 17,600 PHCs and ensure the climate readiness of health facilities, thanks in part to a 1.57 billion dollar facility from the World Bank.

“A portion of these funds will be used to equip healthcare centres with solar energy solutions and other climate-resilient infrastructure, particularly in rural areas,” he said.

He said that the NHSRII recognised the crucial role of the private sector in strengthening the healthcare system.

According to him, private sector actors are expected to help expand digital health services, improve data reporting, and bolster the local production of pharmaceuticals.

The national coordinator said the blueprint also included plans to expand health insurance coverage, aiming to provide financial protection for the most vulnerable through innovative mechanisms like Third-Party Administrators (TPAs).

He said the Health Sector Strategic Blueprint 2024-2027 outlined 13 priority areas, including improving maternal, newborn, and child health, accelerating immunisation programmes, and reducing the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

In addition to federal efforts, he said state governments have committed to implementing policy actions that complement these national strategies.

“This includes their participation in the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), which allocates one per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund towards primary healthcare services,” he said.

(NAN)