Determined to take health care to the poorest of the poor, the Federal Ministry of Health has launched the African Health Market for Equity partnership in Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja.
Delivering his keynote address at the event, the Minister of Health, Prof.C.O.Onyebuchi Chukwu said that the initiative is through the collaborative efforts of the World Bank, International Finance Cooperation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the United Kingdom's Department for International Development, Marie Stopes International, and Society for Family Health, amongst others.
He explained that the partnership is a sixty million dollar investment that has been set aside to facilitate growth in coverage of priority health technologies and interventions amongst the poor in Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana, over a period of five years and targeted to touch the lives of at least one million Nigerians, with special focus on increase in the scale and scope of franchise healthcare, expanding from family planning and intercourseual reproductive health to also address malaria, acute respiratory infections, diarrhoea, nutrition, maternal care, HIV and Tuberculosis.
He said that the African Health Markets for Equity focuses its intervention on social franchise that will promote social benefit rather than financial profit by organizing small independent providers into larger units and also focuses on demand-side financing interventions targeted towards those in need of services, such as poor women and children.
Prof. Chukwu expressed delight that the interventions in the three African countries is a welcome development and the right investment at the right time, considering the strategic importance of the countries in question in the socio-economic and political dynamics of the Sub-Saharan Africa.
He maintained that the Federal Government of Nigeria under the present administration is committed to tapping from the enormous potentials of the Private Sector in bridging gaps in healthcare service delivery.
He said that in line with this; his Ministry has taken some bold and far reaching steps to facilitate speedy and effective engagement of the private sector towards taking the nation's healthcare services to a befitting status.
He enumerated the steps amongst others to include the development of a comprehensive National Strategic Health Development Plan, the establishment of a private sector led Ministerial Committee for the establishment of World Class Hospitals and high-end Diagnostic centre as well as the development of a National Policy on Drug Distribution with inherent thrust on private sector as major players, while Government retains its conventional regulatory role.
Also speaking, the Hon. Secretary for Federal Capital Territory Health and Human Services Secretariat, Dr. Ademola  Onakomaiya said that the collaboration with the private sector is a step in the right direction pointing out that the FCT administration is buying into the initiative and is committed to ensure access to quality healthcare services.
He reaffirmed that the FCT administration is committed to the provision of quality healthcare services to its residents adding that the administration provides free antenatal care as well as free community health insurance to the people. He added that for sustainability, there is need for synergy, collaboration with the private sector.
He said: "No one can do it alone; Government cannot do it alone, everybody should come together, the private sector should be brought in to take control, it is achievable, and if you dream it you can achieve it".
Via: Federal Ministry of Health (FMH) Nigeria