By Peter Adelowo
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, says Nigeria is actively working to fortify its health system by leveraging domestic resources.
A statement signed by the Special Adviser on Media and External Relations to the Coordinating Minister,
Tashikalmah Hallah, in Abuja, pledges the government commitment to prioritize health.
The statement affirms that Nigeria had anticipated a decline in global financial aid even before the US government publicly announced cuts to funding for agencies that support developing countries.
According to the statement, Prof. Pate expresses heartfelt gratitude to the United States for its extensive and generous support over the years, which has played a crucial role in advancing the nation’s healthcare landscape.
It acknowledges the invaluable contributions from the U.S. over the past 20 years, noting that many countries, including Nigeria, had benefitted from lifesaving interventions against HIV, TB, and malaria.
It underscores the importance of self-reliance in healthcare and emphasized that it was unwise for any country to rely entirely on another country for the health and lives of its population.
”The direction taken by the U.S. government is understandable, given its current interests, and we respect that. Here in Nigeria, we are focused on rebuilding our health system, strengthening and increasing our domestic resources, and providing services for our citizens”
“We aim to cooperate with other countries in Africa and around the world to enhance biosecurity and health security while opening up our economy to private-sector investments” he stresses.
The statement highlights Nigeria’s focus on rebuilding its health system, strengthening domestic resources, and providing services for its citizens.
