The Nigerian Health Commissioners Forum has called for additional states to create a drug management agency in an effort to lower medicine prices across the nation.
This information was included in a statement released following the second quarterly meeting of the forum in Lagos, signed by NHCF Chairman, Dr Oyebanji Filani, and Secretary, Dr Amina El-Imam.
Health officials claimed that through the agency, states would gain access to a stockpile of purchased medications, which could be distributed to wholesalers and retailers at reasonable prices.
"This enables countries to gain from collective purchasing of goods, guaranteeing the prompt availability of quality and cost-effective medications and supplies, along with the associated cost savings," the statement said.
Additionally, the commissioners voiced worries about the requirements for states to join the National Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System and the sluggish rate of enrollment.
The officials decided to work with the Federal Ministry of Health and the National Emergency Medical Treatment Committee to speed up the approval process for states.
They recognized the advantages of the program, such as enhancing access to urgent medical care for more Nigerians.
The commissioners noted that the forum decided to maintain communication with NEMSAS, private healthcare centers, and other relevant parties to speed up the complete implementation of the initiative.
The commissioners praised the leadership of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control and Prevention for finishing the Joint External Evaluation in 13 states, and encouraged the center to work towards assessing the remaining states.
The communique stated that the NHCF emphasized the importance of "ensuring that states create an emergency fund that is not depleted by the end of each fiscal year."
The conference acknowledged the importance of countries having the capability to prevent, identify, and address all outbreaks.
It urged states to consistently update the NCDC whenever an outbreak is detected.
The NHCF emphasized the importance of every healthcare facility working with state health ministries, irrespective of their ownership, to enhance monitoring and reaction efforts.
This is the case that local government areas should establish public health emergency operations centers in addition to state isolation centers.
Health officials commended President Bola Tinubu's government for its efforts in revitalizing primary healthcare through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, as well as the Immunisation Plus and Malaria Initiative.
The statement mentioned that the health commissioners examined the information collected from a national health initiative called 'Project Ten Million,' organized by the NHCF at the end of last year, which involved screenings for hypertension and diabetes among millions of adults throughout the country.
It mentioned that the commissioners were suggesting methods to leverage the data in order to enhance Nigeria's approach to the non-communicable diseases' challenge, such as boosting NCD monitoring and fostering cooperation across different sectors.
The commissioners recognized the consistent advancements in service availability, such as the implementation of IPTP3 for expectant mothers, a rise in deliveries managed by trained birth attendants, and the care of newly diagnosed diarrhea cases.
They also pledged to support the country's initiative to organize the 5th Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance in 2026.
They observed that this supported the battle against the AMR challenge in collaboration with all other involved parties.
Additionally, they restated their dedication to enhancing the health results for every Nigerian.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).