By Fatima Muraina
The Federal Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole has called on governments at all levels to invest in the health sector.
He said, funding health should be a combination of insurance, government money and taxation.
Adewole spoke in an interactive session with the Network of Reproductive Health Journalists in Nigeria (NRHJN) during the Network’s Capacity building and Annual General Meeting (AGM), held in Ibadan, Oyo state capital.
He said Health insurance is not the best but that government should heavily invest in the sector.
“We must do a combination, Insurance, Government money and taxes. All of them must fund health”, he said.
He noted that the President of the World Bank has testified the wrong assumption on investing in Infrastructure rather than investing in human infrastructures calling on all the state governments to wake up to this responsibility .
Adewole disclosed that the federal government has a beautify economy and goal plan which are in three pillars, to allow the economy to recover, to build a sustainable economy system and to invest in the people.
” The challenge we have is convincing people that health is not a waste. I have taken the message to the National economic council, I have taken it to the economic management team of the Federal government to talk to them that we need to invest in health and to me, we are getting there”, he affirmed.
Adewole charged Nigerians to alert government where there is outbreak of Meningitis as the country is in its season presently.
Explaining that the meningitis vaccination is expensive, he said, such cases are treated immediately but that when it crosses epidemic stereo government quickly vaccinate people in that local government area to avoid further spread.
In a brief remarks, the CSO Focal Officer point FP 2020, Dr. Ejike Oji disclosed that the country is in a demography trap and must work on how to come out from it.
Earlier, in her welcome address, The Ipas country Director, Barr. Hauwa Shekarau applauded the leadership of the network for their efforts on Reproductive Health.
She charged them on more productive work which she said will move the network to a greater level.
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