The Federal Government has urged community health officers to adopt telemedicine outreaches in advancing healthcare delivery at the grassroots.

Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Adekunle Salako, who made the call at the 5th Induction Ceremony of Community Health Officers (CHOs), organised by the Community Health Practitioners Registration Board of Nigeria (CHPRBN) in Abuja, urged Nigerians to prioritise healthcare and take active measures to prevent diseases.

Salako said that adopting health-promoting habits like regular physical exercise, healthy nutrition, periodic health status screening, and diligent self-care are crucial to reducing diseases, disability and premature deaths in the country.

He noted that though the country has made strides over the years, the health system is still burdened by challenges such as workforce shortages, infrastructural gaps, inequitable distribution of resources, power deficit and high dependency on imported products, while indices are still worrisome.

Salako observed that these challenges are national but are more intense in rural and underserved communities, where over 60 per cent of the population resides and among the low socio-economic class who suffer from multidimensional poverty.

He said, “Our community health officers are expected to serve as the first line of defence, the advocates of preventive care, and the custodians of health education and community mobilisation.

“Your role transcends clinical duties; you are the bridge between policy and practice, between government initiatives and grassroots realities. Let me reaffirm that your work is not merely a profession but a national calling to secure the health of Nigerians and contribute to national prosperity.”

The minister noted that the present administration has anchored its health sector agenda on a diligent implementation of the Health Act 2014 and the Renewed Hope Agenda to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

According to him, the administration recognises that UHC is not a luxury but a fundamental right and has developed the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative to save lives, reduce physical and financial pain and produce health for all Nigerians.

Salako stated that a critical element of the strategy is the acceleration of the rollout of the National Primary Healthcare Model, which integrates three core pillars of workforce strengthening, infrastructure modernisation, and community-led health governance. “Central to this model is the deployment, retention, and empowerment of community health practitioners.”

He observed that the government has initiated policies, including the revitalisation of 10,000 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) and the National Community Health Workforce Strategy, to ensure equitable distribution of skilled personnel to dismantle the urban-rural divide in healthcare access, ensuring that no Nigerian is left behind.

Salako reiterated the commitment of the ministry to strengthen the regulatory mandates of the CHPRBN and continue to support the Board to enhance Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programmes to enable community health practitioners to keep pace with global best practice.

He identified a robust regulatory framework as the bedrock of quality care and urged inductees to see their certification not merely as a license to practice but as a covenant with the Nigerian people.

Salako tasked the inductees to uphold the trust reposed in them with integrity, innovation, and compassion and reminded them that the success of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Act and the administration’s aspiration to enrol 50 million Nigerians into health insurance by 2027 depends on their grassroots mobilisation.

“The government’s policy on UHC is unambiguous; every Nigerian deserves affordable and quality healthcare. Achieving this requires your active partnership as frontline ambassadors, who promote preventive care. Let us join hands to build a legacy of health security for the current and future generations and ensure that women, children, and the elderly receive prioritised attention at all times.”

Salako emphasised that the Bola Tinubu administration is passionate and determined to take health care services to Nigerians, even in the remotest part of the country, adding that CHOs are essential officers in achieving this.

He assured that the ministry will work with state and local councils to ensure maximum deployment of CHOs to enhance the healthcare delivery system.