Nigerian National Health Conference
-----------------------------------
28-29 Novemeber, 2006
Dear Colleagues,
The Nigerian National Health Conference 2006 (a.k.a. NHC2006) is
a collaborative effort initiated by the Senate Committee on
Health of the National Assembly and the Health Reform Foundation
of Nigeria (HERFON). It would be recalled that in 2003, the
Change Agent Programme (CAP) led by current Honourable Minister
of Health Professor Eyitayo Lambo, produced a document named
PUTTING HEALTH HIGH ON THE POLITICAL AGENDA, which was
disseminated and discussed with all the registered political
parties.
Since 2003 and following on the heels of the advocacy effort,
Nigeria had embarked on another journey towards better health,
through a robust Health Sector Reform regime aimed at
strengthening the National Health System; culminating in the
current National Health Bill (NHB) awaiting final passage by the
National Assembly. As 2007 elections approaches, a new
leadership is expected, and engagement with the political actors
and policy makers is extremely necessary for the sustenance of
current reforms through the next democratic regimes; especially
in the various States of the Federation, using Change Agents and
other stakeholders.
The NHC2006 has been generated, mentioned, discussed and
accepted in interactions between the Senate Committee on Health,
Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), HERFON, Partnership for
Transforming Health Systems (PATHS), ENHANSE/USAID, World Health
Organisation (WHO), UK Department for International Development
(DFID), Advocacy Nigeria, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria
(PSN), Health and Managed Care Association of Nigeria (HMCAN),
European Union (EU), Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG),
Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), National Association of
Community Health Practitioners (NACHP), NANNM, Committee of
Chief Medical Directors (CCMDs), Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA), National Council of Women Society
(NCWS), Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners
of |Nigeria (AGPMPN), Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), etc.,
as a doable approach towards recovering the years that the
locust had eaten in our health system; as epitomized by the
current reforms in the health sector led by His Excellency,
President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Honourable Minister of
Health Professor Eyitayo Lambo.
Already, a National Steering Committee for the Conference,
chaired by the Chairman of Senate Committee on Health
Distinguished Senator S.I. Martyns-Yellowe (M.D.) has been
constituted and inaugurated. Speaking during the inauguration,
Distinguished Senator Martyns-Yellowe lamented the problems of
the Nigerian Health Sector over the years. He said that in view
of the fact that the country is now working towards
democratically transiting from a sitting President to a new one,
the NHC has become imperative as an all-embracing fast-tracking
effort to urgently focus on Health in Nigeria in the 21st
Century - Sustaining the Reforms Beyond 2007; while the outputs
of the conference shall be vigorously marketed to all
stakeholders in the Nigerian Health Sector, nationally and
internationally.
Also speaking during the inauguration, the Executive Secretary
of HERFON Dr. Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe whose vision and that of
his organization the conference is emphasized HERFONs
commitment and concern to use the current transition period in
the country to commit the political class to basic national
objectives in the health sector. He opined that as stakeholders,
members of the committee, the institutions they represent and
indeed all stakeholders; need to work assiduously on the country
current health priorities, with an intention of setting national
targets for the next democratic era. He expressed HERFONs
appreciation that Distinguished Senator Martyns-Yellowe and the
Senate Committee on Health shared this vision and has gotten his
tremendous support behind it.
The National Steering Committee shall oversee the organization
of the conference; provide the strong political leverage and
recruit more partners as needed, for the successful organisation
of the NHC and marketing of its outcome; mobilise the resources
needed for the NHC and its zonal equivalents; market the
outcomes of the NHC for sustainable health systems reform and
improvement in health status of Nigerians; and consider other
measures needed to organise the NHC and fully realise its
objectives.
The conference secretariat has been set up within the premises
of HERFON, and the Conference Coordinator appointed in the
person of Dr. Uzodinma Adirieje [former Programmes Manager,
ICASA 2005]. He also functions as the Secretary of the NHCs
National Steering Committee.
The goal of National Health Conference 2006 is to develop a
Health Agenda for Nigeria in the twenty-first (21st) Century and
disseminate this Agenda to Stakeholders at all levels of
Government, Development Partners and NGOs, nationally and
internationally; with the objectives of:
i. Creating a forum for interactions among key stakeholders
[The Presidency, National Assembly, State Governments, local
governments, FMoH and line Ministries, SMoHs, Policy makers,
Development Partners, Professional organizations, Parastatals
and institutions, Health care financiers, health care providers,
Facility owners, Community leaders, Traditional healers,
pharmaceutical manufacturers/suppliers, clients/patients, etc.]
in order to increase their understanding of issues and
challenges of the Nigerian health sector and participation in
various plans to address them.
ii. Reviewing the current situation of the Nigerian Health
Sector in relation to existing health policies
iii. Reviewing and propagating the achievements of the ongoing
Health Sector Reform Programme [HSRP]
iv. Developing locally appropriate, acceptable and affordable
approaches for the consolidation of the achievements of the
ongoing reforms
v. Developing the focus and agenda for Nigeria Health Sector
for 2007 and beyond; and
vi. Developing the plans for disseminating the agreed Agenda
to political actors, policy makers, healthcare professionals and
other stakeholders at all levels
The expected outputs of the conference are:
i. Comprehensive report of the activities, presentations,
sessions and decisions of the conference;
ii. Summarized report of the key decisions and agreed
activities by the forum that is The Agreed Agenda;
iii. Programmatic work plan for the implementation of the
decisions arrived at during the conference;
iv. Establishment of a monitoring group with a secretariat
that would follow-up on relevant stakeholders to ensure that the
proposed work plan is adopted/adapted and implemented at the
various levels of governance in the country; and
v. Advocacy document(s) in a very simple and summarized
format that could be used as a marketing document to various
stakeholders.
The expected outcomes/impacts of the conference include:
i. Effective national health systems
ii. Better and appropriate health services and health-seeking
behaviours within the population
iii. Improved health indices for the population
iv. Better health outcomes
v. Enhanced human development
vi. Increased general life expectancy
Kindly direct all enquiries and comments related to the NHC2006:
The Conference Coordinator
Nigerian National Health Conference 2006
Conference Secretariat
c/o Health Reform Foundation of Nigeria (HERFON)
# 10 Sakono Street, (opp. AP Plaza), off Adetokunbo Ademola
Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja, Nigeria
Ph: 09.4618496
Fax: 09.5240433
Mob: 0803.4725905
mailto:nationalhealthconf2006_ng@yahoo.com
http://www.herfon.org
Thank you.
Dr. Uzodinma A. Adirieje
mailto:afrepton@yahoo.com
http://www.iaen.org/pronet/index.php?view=detail&id=15113
--
Dr. Uzodinma Adirieje is a Health-System-and-Development
Projects Consultant, Researcher, Change Agent and Columnist
focused on HIV/AIDS, Health Sector Reforms, Blindness
Prevention, Nutrition, Aging and Empowerment issues; with
experiences in Program/Project Planning and Management,
Research, Mobilization/Advocacy, Health Writing, Health System
Assessment (M & E), Policy Analyses and Community Leadership.
CV: http://www.iaen.org/pronet/index.php?view=detail&id=15113