President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the release of a N10billion Medical Relief Programme for the provision of drugs to those in need, especially those affected by the recent flood in Maiduguri, Borno State.

Under the Medical Relief Programme, the sum of N5billion was released to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) respectively.

Meanwhile, 172 local governments account for more than 50 percent of the maternal mortality burden in the country.

Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja while briefing journalists on the Joint Annual Health Review meeting billed for 6-8, November, 2024.

He explained that part of the fund has been deployed to provide vital drugs and relief to those in need especially those affected by flood in Maiduguri adding that, without these interventions, the situation would have been worse than we are seeing presently.

He said, “The medical relief fund is also being used in the Know your numbers campaign targeted at hypertension and diabetes, especially the poor and vulnerable Nigerians who don’t have . It is not enough, but at least it’s geared towards addressing issues when they arise.”

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Pate acknowledged that Nigeria’s health sector is facing critical challenges but assured that the current government is on a journey of transforming the Nigerian health sector and making the health system respond to the health needs of Nigerians.

The minister noted that the review meeting will provide an opportunity for sincere conversation about the health of Nigerians to present scorecards on key areas such as maternal and child health, access to primary healthcare, and progress in combating diseases like HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria.

Pate recalled that Tinubu signed the Health Sector Renewal Compact with the 36 State governments and the development partners, adding that the administration is committed to improving the health sector in spite of the challenges .

The minister stated that the government has put in place systems to track healthcare delivery outcomes and to enable more data-driven decision-making.

He added that with baseline data in place, the government can measure improvements and track the impact of these reforms while ensuring accountability.

Pate observed that Nigeria’s first-ever State of Health Report will be released during the meeting, stressing that the document will highlight the country’s health priorities.