Medical women association tasked on UHC

The Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN) has been charged to make the improvement of  primary healthcare  delivery part of their priorities to enable Nigeria attain the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030.

Assistant Director, Community Health Services at the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency Dr. Ogechi Okalohnu, gave the charge in Abuja yesterday at the Nigerian Woman and Healthcare Symposium organised by the MWAN in collaboration with Healthcare Business Support System and Prompt home health.

According to Okalohnu, the agency had roled out series of programmes to improve the healthcare of women and children in the country, stressing the role of medical women in ensuring adequate Healthcare in the country.

“Medical women needs to always visit Primary Health facilities in villages and interact with Healthcare workers to seek ways of improving nutrition and primary healthcare delivery especially for women and children at the grassroots.

“There is need for more collaborative partnerships, we need to work together to improve the poor health indices in the rural communities. Without proper funding of the primary healthcare  in the country, Nigeria cannot achieve UHC,” she said.

In her welcome address, the MWAN National President Mrs. Joyce Barber said the conference became pertinent following the low percentage of Universal health coverage in the country.

She said there was need for more female health care providers across the country, saying that was the only way to carry everyone along in Health care services.

“We are here today to discuss what affect families, women and children. The need to have female health care providers is imperative.

” Women are here from across the states to learn from each other to forge a way forward and advocate for adequate provision and access to health care facilities,” Barber said.

Presenting a paper titled “The Nigerian Woman and Healthcare” The Managing Director, Healthcare Business Support System Limited, Dr Ogeoma Ukeka, noted the agreement by all UN member states such as Nigeria  to achieve Universal Health Coverage by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s).

He stressed that Nigerian Women must come to the front seat if Nigeria is to achieve the UHC.

 Also in a paper presentation titled “Health Insurance Enrolement and the Nigerian Woman” the Chairman, Governing Board of the Bayelsa state Health Insurance Scheme Prof. Onyaye Kunle-Olowu, said key challenges for most countries was the failure to provide and sustain financial access to quality services by communities especially the poor.

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