Nigeria needs $650m to achieve health-related MDGs - health minister

The sum of US$650 million is needed for Nigeria to achieve health-related Millenium Development Goals (MDGs), this was announced by the country's health minister, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu.


Speaking while welcoming the United Nations' Special Envoy for Financing the Health Millennium Development Goals and for Malaria who was in Nigeria for an appraisal Nigeria’s standing on the attainment of the health MDGs, Onyebuchi said the nation has developed three key plans to galvanize support for targeted health MDGs activities through 2015.

The plans are Saving One Million Lives launched in 2012; UN Commission on Life Saving Commodities (2013); and, MDG Accelerated Framework (2013).

He said the three are further split into six action plans namely: maximizing impact of community- based programmes; health system strengthening; maximizing utilization of PHCs; essential medicines scales up; MNCH weeks and access to life-saving commodities.

"Maternal and child health intervention increases primary health care use and antenatal visits; malaria control; improving child nutrition among others," he said.

 He added that Nigeria’s harmonized action plan prioritized interventions across six areas of focus that target the dominant drivers of maternal and child mortality.

The UN Commission on Life Saving Commodities he said had led to increased availability and use of 13 life-saving commodities, while the MDGs Accelerated Framework, according to the Minister, has improved family planning; skilled birth attendants; emergency and newborn care; universal coverage of antenatal care visits; post-natal care; and improved referral system.

Responding, the Secretary-General of the Envoy, Ray Chambers said: “With only 695 days remaining until the deadline for achieving the globally endorsed Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – a remarkable coalition of government officials, private sector leaders and development partners came together to present an aligned vision for accelerating progress to achieve the health-related MDGs in Nigeria, over the remaining 8 quarters.

“We congratulate Nigeria for its commitment to the MDGs and to saving 400,000 children’s and 20,000 mothers’ lives by the end of 2015, which is essential for the world to reach the goals and for Nigeria to make continued strides in improving the lives of its citizens. These lives are, without any compare, Nigeria’s most precious commodity.”