The Nigerian Federal government has identified an increasing need to expand malaria case management, improve access to quality medicines, and enhance local drug manufacturing to completely eliminate malaria in Nigeria and strengthen the country’s healthcare system.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, said this during the inauguration of the Presidential Initiative to Unlock the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC) in Abuja.
Professor Pate identified the significant progress made by Lagos State towards malaria pre-elimination which he said should serve as a model for the rest of the country, attributing the success to increased access to affordable and high-quality antimalarial drugs.
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The Coordinator, Presidential Initiative to Unlock the Healthcare Value Chain, Abdu Mukhtar, said through the PVAC initiative, the Federal Government is driving efforts to enhance local manufacturing and supply chain management for health commodities.
He noted that the move aligns with its broader healthcare agenda, which includes strengthening regulatory frameworks, improving disease diagnostics, and investing in research and development.
The Nigerian authorities have continued to call for a strong monitoring and evaluation framework to ensure timely implementation of policies to prevent delays in achieving set healthcare delivery goals.
(Editor: Ken Eseni)
