Healthcare our top priority – Dangote Foundation

Chief Executive Officer of Aliko Dangote Foundation has told stakeholders on health that Universal Healthcare Coverage (UHC) is one of the top priorities of the Foundation.

This is coming as the federal government through Minister of Health, and other stakeholders lauded the Foundation for its positive impact on the country’s health sector. Ms Zouera Youssoufou, who was speaking at the ThisDay Newspaper Healthcare Policy Dialogue yesterday in Abuja, said the Foundation will continue to work with governments and civil society organisations for the development of impactful health sector programmes in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.

According to her, the 2nd ThisDay Dialogue with the theme: “The Journey to Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria” is very apt. She said the Foundation has made significant social investments in health, education, economic empowerment and disaster relief. Recently the Foundation made a pledge to commit $100million to fight malnutrition in some parts of the country, she said. “Dangote Foundation in partnership with Bill and Milenda Gates Foundation have been supporting the government in the eradication of polio,” she added.

Ms Youssoufou said the Foundation is also trying to woo other private sector operators to commit at least one percent of their profit after tax to support the health sector. Speaking, Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Folorunso Adewole who commended Dangote Foundation and other stakeholders said the Muhammadu Buhari administration is not resting on its oars in trying to achieve a Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Speaking earlier, Chairman and Publisher of ThisDay Newspaper, Mr. Nduka Obaigbena, said he was elated by the contribution of government and stakeholders after its first dialogue in 2017.

Mr. Obaigbena said the Universal Health Coverage is about ensuring that people have access to the health care they need without suff ering fi nancial hardship Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, assured participants that the funding of the health sector has been on the increase since the Buhari government came to being. Director-General of World Health Organisation (WHO) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghbreyesus, said given its large population, Nigeria’s health sector is very central to Africa and the world.

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