Health
Nigeria Yet to Allocate 15% of Budget to Health as Promised—WHO
By Adedapo Adesanya
Almost 22 years after pledging to set a target of allocating at least 15 per cent of their annual budget to improve the health sector, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that Nigeria is still far from meeting the goal.
In April 2001, heads of state of African Union countries met in Abuja and pledged to set a target of allocating at least 15 per cent of their budget to the health sector.
In commemoration of this year’s World Health Day, which coincided with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of WHO, the Abuja Declaration on improving the health sector was revisited, and many setbacks remained.
April 7 every year was dedicated by the United Nations as World Health Day, and this year was themed, Health for All -Strengthening Primary Health Care to Build Resilient Systems.
Speaking around the declaration made by the then Olusegun Obasanjo administration, Dr Walter Mulombo, WHO Country Representative to Nigeria, explained that even after successive governments, “today, we are still far from achieving the target.’’
Dr Mulombo advocated more funding of the health sector to meet the said target, saying the sector was not adequately funded, compared to areas such as defence, and army, among others.
According to him, health is a human right and not a luxury or consumable, the more politically wise decisions the country makes now will benefit this nation.
“We need to start talking about human rights violations because it is not acceptable for any child to miss a vaccine,’’ he said.
He said that some areas where the organisation accessed showed that 80 per cent of the money went into tertiary hospitals.
According to him, primary healthcare is where 80 per cent of the population in the communities get their first exposure to healthcare services.
“The spending itself is distorted. That is the biggest challenge that has generated everything that we have seen.
“Lack of adequate budget to prepare responses to a pandemic, for instance, we have to struggle in many places,’’ he said.
According to him, the main challenge is the way health is featured as a political choice, and unfortunately, many governments do not live by the standard.
“Many countries continue to consider health as a luxury or something that is costing the government money whereas it should have been taken like an enabling factor for economic and socio-economic development,’’ Mr Mulombo said.
He said it was worrisome the way countries were dealing with social determinants of health, factors like socioeconomic status, education, neighbourhood and physical environment, employment, and social support networks and access to health care.
According to him, addressing social determinants of health is important for improving health and reducing longstanding disparities in health and healthcare.
Dr Mulombo further advocated more facilities with dialysis machines and more expensive equipment to combat the noncommunicable diseases as such was part of the organisation’s challenges.
He said that the organisation also had the challenges of demographic transition because the facilities that were used during the colonial period were still the same in Africa, although It may be possible that Nigeria had the same situation.
“The country is not expending in the space of demographic transition, and the way the population is increasing, Nigeria is projected to have more than 400 million population by 2040, 2050,’’ he said.
Dr Mulombo said that there was also the problem of how the county prepares for the response to any big outbreaks of pandemics.
He said the COVID-19 pandemic was not expected and as such caused havoc in many counties.
“The health body is still expecting the flu pandemic and has been preparing for it.
“When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world, no country was ready, not even the US or the UK, and yet we have International Health Regulations and Global Health Security Agenda.
“The way we prepare was a challenge, and the other one was that the demographic transition and the prominence of disease civilisation, non-communicable diseases, our health facilities are not prepared to face these challenges,’’ he said.
The International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005 is a legally binding agreement of 196 countries to build the capability to detect and report potential public health emergencies worldwide.
It requires that all countries have the ability to detect, assess, report, and respond to public health events.
The Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) is a global effort to strengthen the world’s ability to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats.
According to him, there is a need for the community to play their roles in identifying their needs and in providing the service to address the challenges.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Dr Obi Adigwe has been appointed as the pioneer National Coordinator of the National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office (NHTDAO).
The body was created by the Ministry of Health under the approval of President Bola Tinubu.
NHTDAO will be domiciled in the Office of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, a statement on Friday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, stated.
The agency will serve as a meta-level national platform for coordinating the country’s digital-health agenda. It will reinforce, not replace, the existing statutory functions of relevant departments and agencies, it was emphasised.
The organisation will also harmonise and empower the public and private institutions across the health system, set the standards that connect them, and operationalise the National Digital Health Architecture, approved by the National Council on Health in November 2025.
It was stated that President Tinubu expects NHTDAO to accelerate Nigeria’s transition to a secure, interoperable and data-driven health system that improves outcomes for all citizens.
Mr Adigwe, as Director General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, has leveraged science to catalyse interventions in artificial intelligence, translational research, and technology transfer.
He coordinated major projects, including the ¥300m Nanotechnology grant and the AFREXIMBank grant for Africa’s first API Training Facility. He led the roadmap development that underpinned an €18 million EU grant, the largest in Africa for the thematic area. During the last pandemic, Adigwe globally showcased African science by undertaking the world’s first analysis to debunk claims about the Covid Organics preparation.
The Office’s Steering Committee, which provides strategic direction and oversight, comprises:
- Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare (Co-chair)
- Mr Olaniyi Yusuf, Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (Co-chair)
- Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare (Alternate Co-chair)
- Ms Kachollom Daju, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare
- Mr Idris Alubankudi Saliu, Special Adviser to the President on Technology and Digital Economy
- Dr Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq, National Coordinator, SWAp Coordination Office
- Dr Abdu Mukhtar, National Coordinator, Presidential Initiative to Unlock Healthcare Value Chain
- Dr Muyi Aina, Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency
- Dr Kelechi Ohiri, Director General, National Health Insurance Authority
- Director, Health Planning, Research and Statistics, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare
- National Information Technology Development Agency Representative
- Six representatives of the State Commissioners of Health, one from each of the six geopolitical zones
- Pharm Hamza Buhari, Stakeholder representing Industry and Community.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Lagos State government has kicked off an initiative to ensure that every newborn is screened for Sickle Cell Disease within 48 to 72 hours after birth using a simple heel-prick test.
It was gathered that babies identified as being at risk will immediately be placed on preventive care while awaiting confirmatory testing.
The Head of the Haematology Department at the Alimosho General Hospital, Dr Olubukola Orolu, revealed that an estimated 150,000 babies are born annually with Sickle Cell Disease in Nigeria, giving the country one of the highest SCD burdens globally.
She, however, applauded the Lagos State Government and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) for introducing the state-wide newborn screening programme, describing it as a major step towards reducing childhood deaths associated with the disease.
The commencement of this scheme coincides with the 2026 World Sickle Cell Day, themed Young Voices Rising for Sickle Cell Disease – Closing the Survival Gap: Equity in Sickle Cell Disease.
It highlights the importance of listening to the experiences and aspirations of young people living with Sickle Cell Disease.
Mrs Orolu noted that SCD warriors are increasingly breaking barriers as advocates, leaders, students and change-makers, adding that their voices have continued to reshape the narrative through advocacy for equitable, patient-centred healthcare, self-care and experience sharing.
She, therefore, called for equal access to quality healthcare, survival opportunities and dignity for everyone living with Sickle Cell Disease.
Also commenting, the chief executive of Alimosho General Hospital, Dr Akinyele Akinlade, described Sickle Cell Disease as an inherited blood disorder that is not contagious, noting that individuals living with the condition are more susceptible to infections.
He advised SCD warriors to stay well hydrated, avoid stress, and protect themselves from extreme cold or heat, as these are common triggers of sickle cell crises, adding that these preventive measures can significantly reduce the frequency and severity of crises.
One of the participants, Ms Borokini Zainab, an SCD warrior and student nurse, expressed appreciation to the organisers for the enlightenment programme.
Sharing her personal journey, she spoke about the challenges of balancing recurrent pain crises with her academic pursuits and personal life. Despite moments of frustration, she encouraged fellow warriors not to lose hope.
“Don’t let sickle cell put you down. Be encouraged from within. Don’t let your dreams be shattered because of this,” she said, adding that her personal experience with Sickle Cell Disease inspired her to pursue a career in nursing so she could support others living with the condition.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A 12-week health-tech incubation programme tailored for early-stage founders in Nigeria has been introduced by an innovation and venture-building platform, Evon Labs.
This initiative, known as HealthX Catalyst, will help participants to create scalable, investable solutions for Africa’s urgent healthcare issues.
The programme is underway, with 12 selected founders nearing the final weeks of intensive incubation, ending with a Demo Day on June 24, 2026, at the UNDP innovation centre in Lagos, where the small business owners will present their solutions to an audience of investors, healthcare leaders, development organisations, and technology partners.
The initiative selects early-stage healthcare founders and immerses them in a structured 12-week development process. Throughout this period, participants receive personalised and group mentorship from seasoned professionals across the healthcare, technology, and business sectors.
They also receive structured support for startup development, including refining business models, developing value propositions, and validating markets.
Additionally, participants gain access to a network of healthcare practitioners, sector experts, and industry leaders, along with targeted investment-readiness assistance to prepare them to engage with investors and strategic partners after the programme.
The result is a cohort of founders who move through the programme not simply with a refined pitch, but with a validated business model, a stronger professional network, and a clear pathway to growth.
To accelerate the most promising solutions beyond the programme, monetary grants will be awarded to the top three founders to support product development, pilot implementation, market validation, and early-stage scaling.
It was learned that HealthX Catalyst was developed in response to a structural gap in the African health-tech ecosystem.
Across the continent, a growing number of entrepreneurs are building solutions to healthcare problems from access and diagnostics to service delivery and health data infrastructure. Yet many of these early-stage ideas fail to progress beyond concept, not for lack of vision, but for lack of structured support: mentorship, startup development frameworks, industry access, and early-stage funding pathways. HealthX Catalyst was built to provide exactly that.
“Africa does not have a shortage of healthcare innovators. What it has lacked is the infrastructure to turn its ideas into sustainable businesses. HealthX Catalyst is that infrastructure, a serious, structured programme designed to take founders from early-stage ideas to investable startups.
“What we are seeing from this first cohort is exactly what we set out to create: founders who are not just building products, but building businesses that can scale and create lasting impact,” the founder of Evon Labs, Ms Isioma Udeozo, said of the unveiling of HealthX Catalyst.
The partners of the programme are the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Odua Investment Company Limited (OICL), Washington University of St Louis, Missouri, Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), and Brooks Insights.
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