The Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC) is partnering with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to build a formidable data protection system in the healthcare sector.

Itunu Dosekun, NDPC’s spokesperson, said this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

Mr Dosekun said this followed a visit by Vincent Olatunji, national commissioner of NDPC, to Health Minister Muhammad Pate.

He said the partnership underscored the critical importance of safeguarding sensitive patient information.

Mr Dosekun said NDPC would avoid discrimination and wrong diagnosis and ensure compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023.

He also said it aimed to address challenges in Nigeria’s evolving data protection landscape in the health sector.

Mr Dosekun said this aligned with collaborative strategies for effectively implementing relevant priority areas of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

During the visit, Mr Olatunji provided an overview of the commission’s mandate and underscored the urgency for data protection in healthcare systems.

He said, “There is a need for healthcare workers and policymakers to establish systems that ensure the confidentiality, integrity and security of personal health data.

“Data breaches in the healthcare system can lead to discrimination, misdiagnosis and even loss of life in severe cases.

“This sector is generally sensitive, and the kind of information collected has to do with medical records, which could be used to discriminate against anyone seeking to have good healthcare.”

He also drew attention to the global shift towards digital systems, emphasising that every online activity created a digital blueprint of personal information.

Mr Olatunji said establishing a secure data processing environment should include all healthcare institutions, hospitals, and health management organisations (HMOs), among other entities handling patient data.

The national commissioner recalled that the evolution of the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) in 2019 to the formation of the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau brought about the enactment of the NDPA.

He outlined the framework for cross-border data transfers, which required adequate decisions to ensure foreign jurisdictions upheld data subjects’ rights and maintained comparable legal standards.

He assured the health minister that the law also provided safeguards for scientific research data and reaffirmed the NDPC’s preference for encouraging compliance through sensitisation rather than focusing on enforcement.

Mr Pate acknowledged the sensitivity of health data, adding that it required extensive data collection that encompassed personal health details and demographic statistics across all health facilities.

The minister expressed satisfaction with the commission’s progress and affirmed the ministry’s commitment to compliance across its 107 associated entities.

(NAN)