By Chioma Obinna
Industry leaders and healthcare professionals have called for a transformative action that would bring about radical change within Nigeria’s healthcare landscape even as they demanded for a dramatic increase in domestic production of medical goods as well as a decisive halt to the costly outflow of patients seeking treatment abroad.
The leaders who gathered at the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria’s (HFN) 10th-anniversary conference, also called for a unified approach to bridging the gap between the public and private healthcare sectors.
The HFN President, Dr. Pamela Ajayi, who set the tone, emphasised the critical need to support local manufacturers. “We need to purchase and promote locally manufactured drugs, consumables, and medical equipment.”
She lamented the preference for cheaper imports over quality Nigerian products. “It is painful to me that often they say they cannot buy for a N100 difference or N200 difference.”
Ajayi further highlighted the significant progress made by the HFN in gaining recognition and representation on key government committees, signaling a strengthened voice for the private sector.
“Ten years ago, when we embarked on this journey, the industry was highly fragmented. The private sector was sidelined, largely because we lacked a unified voice. Today, we have come together, strengthened our collective efforts, and gained representation in key areas.”
Corroborating her views, the National Coordinator of the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), Dr. Abdul Mukhtar, who laid out ambitious objectives said: “The first priority is to revise those numbers to be able to produce locally. We currently import about 80 percent of medicines, vaccines, and other healthcare products in Nigeria.”
Further, he highlighted the $1-2 billion spent annually on outbound medical tourism, vowing to reverse this trend by bolstering local healthcare infrastructure and diagnostic facilities.
The conference also tackled the long-standing divide between the public and private healthcare sectors.
Former Lead, Health in Africa Initiative of The World Bank, Prof. Khama Rogo delivered a scathing critique of the fragmented approach, reminding attendees that “the Minister of Health and the Commissioner of Health oversee both public and private health sectors.”
He traced the historical roots of private healthcare in Africa, emphasiding its crucial role in the continent’s health evolution, and challenged the notion that healthcare should be solely a government responsibility.
“It is unfortunate that over the last 20 years, I have had to remind ministers and commissioners that they are presiding over a mixed health sector in Africa.”
Rogo passionately argued for a collaborative model, urging stakeholders to build upon the existing foundation of private healthcare, rather than creating divisions.
The conference underscored Nigeria’s inherent market advantage, with Rogo asking, “You already a market. Why aren’t you moving faster?” This question resonated with the audience, highlighting the untapped potential within Nigeria’s healthcare sector.
The 10th-anniversary conference served as a pivotal moment, galvanising industry leaders to forge a new path towards a self-reliant, innovative, and unified Nigerian healthcare system.
Speaking, the incoming President of the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN), Njide Ndili said with a deep-rooted involvement in the organisation since its inception, she is poised to drive transformative change through strategic private sector integration and a focus on local manufacturing.
“My focus really is on how do we ensure that we continue to support government with private sector integration to support and strengthen the healthcare system.”
Ndili outlined four key pillars of her strategy: strengthening public-private integration, leveraging the private sector to revitalise primary healthcare centres, building capacity within the healthcare workforce, and tapping into diaspora expertise and digital technology.
“The second is how we bring private sector into running our primary health care centres, a lot of which are non-functional. I think it is very important, knowing the capacity private sector has to strengthen efficiency, transparency, health workforce and also financing.”
Ndili stressed the importance of capacity building. She highlighted the potential of telemedicine and diaspora collaboration to bridge gaps in healthcare delivery. “For example, we can use telemedicine to connect those in the diaspora to be able to administer or even consult with patients here,” she said.
Ndili also addressed the critical need to boost local manufacturing capabilities, aligning with the objectives of the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), also known as SOAR 2053. The PVAC, with Ndili as President, aims to increase domestic production of medical products, reduce outbound medical tourism, and create high-skilled jobs.
“The first one is really to increase the share of locally manufactured products in Nigeria. The second is to reduce outbound medical tourism. In Nigeria today we spend about 1 to 2 billion dollars every year on outbound medical tourism.”
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