At the programme, the Executive Director of UHC Centre at Chatham House, Rob Yates, said that political commitment is critical to achieving UHC in the country.
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Health, Salma Anas, has said the new administration is determined to achieve its healthcare reform agenda by prioritising Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Mrs Anas said this on Wednesday in Abuja during a health policy dialogue, which was organised by the UHC 2023 Forum- a coalition of stakeholders in the health sector, including representatives of civil societies, donor agencies, media and international partners.
Themed: "Setting UHC and Health Security Priorities in the New Dispensation: Getting it Right from the Outset," the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the dialogue examined the nation's health policy priorities considering the recommendations of the Presidential Committee on Health Reform.
It also appraised what it termed the citizens-led health agenda of the new administration and how to chart a course of action.
The special adviser said Mr Tinubu's objective is to bridge the divide between the underprivileged and accessing quality healthcare by providing financial security.
Others speak
Also speaking at the event, APC Women Leader, Betta Edu, hailed the administration's fuel subsidy removal policy, saying Mr Tinubu is committed to redirecting the resources to subsidise every household by prioritising investments in the health and education sectors.
On his part, the Emir of Shonga, Kwara State, Haliru Yahaya, said improving the country's health system "will rely greatly on political will and a change in attitudes."
The monarch said the two elements are crucial in driving positive change and progress in the country's health sector.
WHO, Chatham House lend helping hand
The Country Representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Nigeria, Walter Mulombo, said for the government to get it right from the outset will require putting the right people in the right place.
Mr Mulombo said the WHO acknowledges the invaluable role of community involvement in shaping health policies and urged the new administration to adopt a similar approach.
The Executive Director of the Centre for Universal Health Coverage at Chatham House, Rob Yates, emphasised how political commitment is critical to achieving UHC in the country.
Mr Yates said Chatham House is willing to support the new state governors in advancing the UHC agenda in the country.
Meanwhile, the Chair of the Health Sector Reform Coalition (HSRC), Mrs Chika Offor, urged the new government to work with a sense of urgency to address the poor health outcomes in the country.
UHC Forum chair speaks
Earlier, the Chair of the UHC 2023 Forum, organisers of the event, Moji Makanjuola, said the dialogue was put in place in recognition of the new political dispensation in the country.
Mrs Makanjuola said the forum would intensify its engagement with the political class to ensure their health policy priorities reflect the most important gaps in the health system.
She said: "Today's event is one of such endeavours aimed at articulating available evidence on policy reforms in Nigeria and forging a consensus on health and health security priorities in the light of available evidence.
"This gathering also offers us the opportunity to identify key success factors for achieving health and health security reform objectives, especially in a complex administrative setting like ours.
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"Furthermore, this forum comes with a unique opportunity to chart a course of action for effective and sustained citizens' engagement towards productive health reforms".
About UHC 2023 Forum
The forum, according to the organisers, is a coalition of a wide array of stakeholders, including donor agencies, development partners, Civil Society Organisations and the media.
According to its leadership, the forum is committed to taking advantage of the policy window created by the political transition to put UHC and health security on the political front burner.
The forum noted that it had formed a robust partnership with a global policy think-tank, the Chatham House UK, and the Nigeria Governors' Forum, to raise the political profile of health in the country.
"The forum creates a citizens-led health agenda for participation by major political parties in the country," it noted.
