Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Kazeem Biriowo
Published on 2024-04-10 07:02:44
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently introduced its fourth medium-term strategic framework, known as the Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS), to guide its technical cooperation within Member States. This announcement was made by WHO Nigeria Country Representative, Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo, during a Policy Dialogue and Town Hall meeting held to mark the 2024 World Health Day in Abuja.
The theme for World Health Day 2024, “My health, my right”, emphasizes the urgent need to uphold the right to health for all individuals. The CCS serves as the foundation for program budgeting, operational planning, and coordination with the United Nations Country Teams and other partners.
Dr. Mulombo outlined the strategic priorities of the fourth CCS, which include enhancing primary health care approaches and strengthening essential health system capacities to promote equity and gender equality at all levels in order to achieve Universal Health Coverage. These priorities also aim to improve equity and quality in health system coverage, address the root causes of ill health, build institutional capacities for research and health product production, and prepare for emerging health risks and emergencies.
The development of the fourth CCS was a collaborative effort led by the Federal Ministry of Health and involved input from all partners, including Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), to support the implementation of the Nigeria Health Renewal Investment Programme. Dr. Mulombo reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to working with the government and NGOs to enhance health promotion, provision, and protection for all Nigerians to drive economic development.
The first WHO Nigeria CCS was established in 2000, and the fourth CCS, covering the period from 2023 to 2027, has now been launched. The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom, at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, assured that significant changes would be made in the health sector to improve maternal and child healthcare, immunization services, and overall health outcomes.
During a health walk organized by WHO and the Federal Ministry of Health to commemorate the World Health Day, Dr. Molumbo reiterated the importance of treating any health deprivation as a violation of human rights. He emphasized WHO’s founding principles, established 76 years ago, which recognize health as a fundamental human right that should not be treated as a privilege.
Dr. Molumbo underscored the significance of viewing health as both a means and an outcome, citing the successful eradication of smallpox as an example of a major achievement in global health. He called for a collective effort to address health inequalities and ensure that every individual’s right to health is upheld, emphasizing that any lack of access to healthcare services should be considered a violation of human rights.
In conclusion, the launch of the fourth WHO Nigeria CCS and the commemoration of World Health Day serve as important milestones in promoting health as a fundamental human right and advancing efforts to achieve Universal Health Coverage and improve health outcomes for all individuals in Nigeria.
Read the original article on Nigerian Tribune
