Health
STAKEHOLDERS in Nigeria’s health sector have called for leveraging digital health and public financing to accelerate progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
The stakeholders stressed the critical roles these elements play in addressing ongoing challenges within the healthcare system.
They made the call on Thursday in Abuja, at the National Stakeholders Roundtable on Digital Health.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the stakeholder engagement, which focused on health sector reforms, highlighted the importance of leveraging digital health tools and creating a cohesive strategy for public financing.
Dr Olumide Okunola, Senior Health Specialist at the World Bank, said the critical role of public financing and digital transformation in achieving UHC in the country.
Okunola said that digital health, when supported by robust public financing and collaboration across sectors, holds the key to improving Nigeria’s healthcare system and achieving UHC.
He, however, said that challenges such as governance, data integration, and infrastructure must be addressed
Dr Marelize Gorgens, another expert from the World Bank, said that digitalisation was crucial to overcoming the challenges that have plagued Nigeria’s healthcare system.
“Digital health solutions offer Nigeria a unique opportunity to improve healthcare delivery, and the key is to empower patients through technology,” she said.
Gorgens noted the increasing use of smartphones in the country, stressing how mobile technology could help citizens manage their health better by carrying personal health data on their devices.
She said that digital tools could improve emergency response efforts.
“In the future, patients will be able to access their critical health information, such as blood type and emergency contacts, in urgent situations.
This will save lives and improve efficiency in healthcare,” she said.
In her address, Dr Pamela Ajayi, President of the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN), stressed the need for innovative solutions to address Nigeria’s healthcare challenges.
“Accessibility, affordability, and efficiency remain major hurdles in Nigeria’s healthcare system,” Ajayi said.
She highlighted digitalisation as a tool to overcome these challenges, especially for underserved populations in rural areas.
She commended the use of telemedicine and artificial intelligence (AI) in diagnostics, which could bridge the healthcare gap for rural communities that lack adequate services.
“By digitising healthcare, we can leapfrog over obstacles that have persisted for years,” she said.
She also called for homegrown solutions tailored to Nigeria’s unique challenges, rather than imported models from other countries.
Dr Gbenga Ijaodola, Deputy Director and Program Manager, NDHI, FMOH, highlighted the role of digitalisation in achieving equitable healthcare access.
“For us to achieve equity, availability, and accessibility of healthcare services cost-effectively, we must embrace digitalisation,” he said.
Ijaodola highlighted the importance of improving service delivery, and reducing financial and physical barriers to care, and saving lives through digital health.
“Digital tools will ensure accountability, efficiency, and responsiveness in the health system,” he noted.
He also called for collaboration across the healthcare sector, urging stakeholders to work together towards Nigeria’s UHC goals.(NAN)
A.I
Oct. 18, 2024
Tags: Dr Marelize Gorgens Dr Olumide Okunola universal health coverage
