In a daring effort to enhance the well being and well-being of Nigerians, the World Well being Group (WHO) has partnered with the Nigerian authorities to launch the Nationwide Well being Fellows Program (NHFP). This transformative initiative, housed throughout the Sector Vast Method (SWAp) Coordination Workplace beneath the Workplace of the Coordinating Minister of Well being and Social Welfare, goals to deploy devoted well being fellows throughout all 774 native authorities areas (LGAs) nationwide. By strengthening healthcare companies on the grassroots degree, the programme seeks to handle systemic challenges and drive lasting change in Nigeria’s well being sector.
In 2024, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu accepted the NHFP as a part of a broader technique to construct a strong, modern, and well-equipped healthcare workforce. The programme will deploy younger professionals to each LGA to boost well being service supply, enhance coverage coordination, and foster neighborhood engagement.
WHO’s Function in Supporting the NHFP
In the course of the programme’s launch on the State Home Convention Centre in Abuja, President Tinubu praised the initiative’s formidable imaginative and prescient and rigorous choice course of, underscoring its significance for Nigeria’s healthcare future. Previous to the launch, the Coordinating Minister of Well being and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, directed the SWAp Coordination Workplace to expedite recruitment efforts.
To make sure transparency and uphold world well being requirements, Minister Pate tasked WHO, the lead well being company and technical associate, with chairing the recruitment committees throughout Nigeria’s 36 states and Federal Capital Territory. With WHO main the method, the aim was to pick out extremely certified professionals able to serving communities nationwide.
The recruitment course of was meticulous. Candidates from all 774 LGAs submitted functions on-line, adopted by a pre-screening section that shortlisted the highest three candidates per LGA based mostly on predefined standards. A state-level screening, led by WHO workers, then finalized the number of fellows.
In his goodwill message, WHO Nation Consultant Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo counseled the Nigerian authorities for adopting modern approaches to remodel the well being sector. “These unprecedented, transformative initiatives—together with the Nationwide Well being Fellowship Program, Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Discount Innovation Initiative (MAMII), State of Well being Report, Redesigned Group Well being Staff Programme, and the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Worth Chain (PVAC)—show Nigeria’s dedication to the World Well being Meeting’s resolutions on common well being protection,” he stated. Dr Mulombo emphasised that such efforts are very important for accelerating progress towards common well being protection in member states.
An excited well being fellow, Raji Latefat, from Ede Constituency, Osun State, views her fellowship as a chance to serve and contribute her quota in bettering the well being companies in her neighborhood.
“After the coaching from authorities and WHO specialists, I look ahead to supporting the federal government in reaching the specified aim. I promise to do my work skilfully and obtain what is anticipated from me as a well being fellow”, she stated.
Dr Bello Ahmed, WHO Kaduna State Coordinator, shared insights from the screening course of in Kaduna State, the place over 50 candidates from 23 LGAs have been evaluated. “Via this course of, we recognized gifted candidates for the Well being Fellowship Programme, contributing to enhanced management and expertise inside Nigeria’s well being sector,” he famous. As soon as deployed, the fellows are anticipated to assist state governments in implementing nationwide and state-level well being insurance policies, making certain alignment with world finest practices. Their roles will even embrace coaching and monitoring well being employees, streamlining processes, decreasing forms, and bettering the effectivity of well being programmes.
WHO’s assist for the NHFP displays its dedication to strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare infrastructure by capability constructing and workforce improvement. The organisation will present technical help, coverage steerage, and strategic oversight to make sure the programme aligns with world well being requirements.
Anticipated Influence of the NHFP
The NHFP is poised to create a ripple impact of constructive well being outcomes throughout Nigeria. Key anticipated advantages embrace:
• Improved Healthcare Entry: By stationing fellows in each LGA, the programme will improve healthcare accessibility for underserved communities.
• Strengthened Well being Workforce: Fellows will acquire hands-on expertise and coaching, contributing to the long-term improvement of Nigeria’s well being sector.
• Enhanced Illness Surveillance and Response: Backed by the federal government and WHO, fellows will play a vital position in monitoring and responding to illness outbreaks on the native degree.
• Group Engagement and Consciousness: Fellows will lead well being campaigns, educate communities on preventive healthcare measures, and drive grassroots-level interventions.
Because the NHFP unfolds, it’s anticipated to function a mannequin for youth-driven healthcare transformation, paving the way in which for a extra resilient and environment friendly well being system in Nigeria.
Progress and Wanting Forward
Since its launch, the NHFP has sparked widespread optimism about the way forward for healthcare in Nigeria. Notably, over 774 well being fellows have already been deployed throughout the nation to serve in native authorities areas, marking a major milestone within the programme’s rollout. These fellows are actually actively working to bridge gaps in healthcare supply, strengthen native well being techniques, and foster belief between communities and well being authorities.
With WHO’s technical experience and the Nigerian authorities’s management, the NHFP is well-positioned to handle longstanding challenges and ship measurable impression on the grassroots degree.
The Nationwide Well being Fellows Programme represents a vital step towards reaching common well being protection in Nigeria. By empowering a brand new technology of well being professionals to steer change, this initiative holds the promise of a more healthy, extra equitable future for all Nigerians.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Well being Group (WHO) – Nigeria.
