How to use digital technology to accelerate universal healthcare coverage, by experts

Commissioner for Health Lagos State, Prof. Akin Abayomi, and the Guest speaker at the Youth Consultation on Digital Health Technology programme, held in Ikeja, Lagos, Njideka Ngeli, have explored how to use digital technology to accelerate universal healthcare coverage.

Abayomi said: “This is opportunity to engage our digital entrepreneurs to help us in delivering healthcare to Nigerians especially at the primary healthcare level. We are tired of using old methods in information dissemination in healthcare system for instance, using files to keep information sometimes file got missing and it makes things very slow and we find it difficult to get useful information but this is time for us to digital.”

He reiterated that Lagos State government is committed to achieving universal healthcare coverage and make Lagos a smart city in terms healthcare delivery and response.
Abayomi, however, stated that government cannot achieve these goals alone without engaging the youths who are the future leaders of the state.

The commissioner spoke in GRA, Ikeja, at the Youth Consultation on Digital Health Technology programme adding that Lagos State government has taken steps to ensure quality healthcare delivery at the community levels around the state to take care of most common ailments and to put preventive strategy in the communities.

“For instance, to ensure birth control and ensure there is safe delivery process among women of childbearing age in Lagos State and Nigeria at large,” he said. Ngeli said that age range for the youths is between 18 to 35 years and research has shown that within this range majority of the youths do not have jobs, they do not have health insurance and they do not get assistance from their parents. “While youths in Nigeria have 60 per cent of the population yet they do not have voice in terms of healthcare system,” she said.

Ngeli added: “This is kind of consultation to understand the need of the young people, how they interact with the healthcare system, the barriers they see and how the barriers can be solved to enable them have access to healthcare system.”