The Federal government has urged member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to prioritise the building of climate-resilient health systems and also integrate environmental considerations into health policies and programmes.
It stressed the need to leverage their collective strengths and resources to build resilient, equitable and sustainable quality health systems that meet the needs of the people of the region.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, who made the call at the 25th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Health Ministers of ECOWAS in Abuja, noted that the impact of climate change on health was becoming increasingly evident through extreme weather events, changing disease patterns, migrations and environmental degradation, which pose new threats to the health of the populations of the region.
Pate said that the ECOWAS sub-region was faced with high disease burden, adding that non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and cancers were on the rise, placing a significant burden on the region’s health systems.
The minister said that the persistent threats of diseases like malaria, tuberculosis and HIV, compounded by emerging infectious diseases, demand intensified efforts in prevention, control and treatment, stressing the need to strengthen the region’s capacity to detect, prevent and respond to public health threats.
According to him, strengthening surveillance systems, enhancing diagnostic capabilities and fostering international collaboration are essential steps towards mitigating the threats the region faces.
He said: “The primary focus for our sub-region, as articulated by our technical experts, is the fortification of our healthcare systems, which should be the backbone of our societal well-being. This encompasses not only the infrastructure but also investing in human resources for health and integrating innovative technologies to ensure comprehensive health services are accessible.”
The minister stated that the theme of the meeting, ‘Quality of Health Care in ECOWAS Region’, requires both robust health systems and financial systems, as well as trained, retained and motivated frontline health workers to deliver services.
He noted that access to care is only one part of the equation, saying without quality, access will not lead to improved health outcomes.
“Enhancing both access and quality is essential to improving population health outcomes, and poor-quality care is actually a waste of resources. Therefore, investing in quality will only stretch the resources we have to achieve better health outcomes for our populations,” Pate added.
