Nigeria and the United Kingdom have flagged off a collaborative venture aimed at updating the professional skills of the country’s health workforce.
Speaking during the formal launch of the health workforce training programme in Abuja, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Mohammad Pate, said the programme was part of the effort to reposition the country’s healthcare system and to fill gaps in the health workforce.
He also said that the initiative will help to fast-track the attainment of universal health coverage.
The minister said: “In addressing these identified gaps, the ministry has devised strategic priorities aimed at fortifying the health workforce and overall health system. These priorities include strengthening governance, stewardship and accountability of the workforce, enhancing the functionality of human resource for health information systems (HRHIS) for effective health workforce planning, ensuring production of sufficient number of health workers, optimising recruitment, utilisation, retention and performance of available health workers and reinforcing, coordination and partnership for human resources for health agenda.
“I am pleased to formally endorse the global health workforce programme. We recognise the potential of (GHWP) to align with our national health workforce strengthening agenda.”
Under the management of the Tropical Health and Education (THET), the minister said the GHWP will play a crucial role in addressing the country’s health workforce challenges.
“I am pleased to formally announce the launch of the Global Health Workforce Programme in collaboration with THET. This partnership signifies commitment to shared vision of a robust health workforce, resilient health system and realisation of the universal health coverage.
In his remark, the British High Commissioner who was represented by Mrs. Ebere Anyachukwu, identified some of the key challenges to achieving success in the health sector reform drive to include shortages in health workforce, inadequate mix in health workforce and inequitable distribution of health workers in the country.
He said that the British government will support Nigeria through the UK International Development Programme to ensure the acquisition of relevant expertise, skills and effectiveness by health workers.
Onyebuchi Ezigbo
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