The Federal Government announced major strides in digital health and health financing as key parts of its plan to fast-track Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Nigeria. Speaking at the 66th National Council on Health in Calabar, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, shared exciting updates including 7.2 million Nigerians now registered on the National Health Information Exchange a big win for digital health transformation.
More than 200 hospitals have adopted Electronic Medical Record systems, benefiting 4.5 million users through the Global Health Initiative. The Edo State Digital Health Initiative has digitally registered 850,000 residents, cut vaccine waste by 23%, and delivered e-medicine consultations to 12,000 rural patients.
On financing, the government is pushing for equity, with public-private partnerships, new taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks, plus a proposed $500 million diaspora health investment fund. Efforts to boost local production of medical supplies and workforce capacity are also underway. States like Lagos and Cross River are showing impressive health insurance coverage progress, with calls for others to match the momentum.
The minister urged striking health workers to suspend action for the nation’s good and emphasized UHC as a political choice to guarantee healthcare as a right not a financial burden.
Leave a comment