FEDERAL MINISTRY OF HEALTH 61ST NATIONAL COUNCIL ON HEALTH (NCH) MEETING HELD AT THE CORONATION HALL, GOVERNMENT HOUSE, KANO,KANO STATE,19TH – 22ND JUNE, 2018

 

COUNCIL COMMUNIQUE; OPENING 

1. The 61st regular session of the National Council on Health (NCH)Meeting was held at theCoronation Hall, Government House, Kano, Kano State from the 19th – 22nd June, 2018.The National Council on Health,as provided for in the National Health Act (2014),is the highest policy making body on matters relating to health in Nigeria. The membershipcomprises of the Honourable Minister of Health who is the Chairman of the Council, the Honourable Minister of State for Health, State Commissioners for Health of the 36 States, and the Secretary of Health & Human Services Secretariat FCT. The 61stNational Council on Health was chaired by the Honourable Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac F. Adewole FAS, FSPSP, FRCOG, DSc (Hons).

 

2. A total of 772delegates participated from theDepartments,Agencies and Parastatals of the Federal Ministry of Health, State Ministries of Health and the Health & Human Services Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, Abuja. Others in attendance werethe Director Medical Services of Department of State Services andrepresentatives of the Nigeria Military, Police, Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigeria Air force, Nigeria Prison Service, Nigeria immigration ServiceMedical Corps. There were also delegates from the Federal Ministries of Science & Technology, Women Affairs & Social Development, Budget & National Planning,National Population Commission, Development Partners, Civil Society Organisations, Private Sector Organisationsas well asProfessional Associations.

 

TECHNICAL SESSION 

3. The 61stNCH was preceded by a two-day Technical Session under the chairmanship of the Permanent Secretary (PSH),Federal Ministry of Health, Mr.Osarenoma Clement Uwaifo. During the Technical Sessionheld from19th – 20thJune, 2018,there were six (6) technical presentations on the theme and sub-themes whileseventy-nine (79)memoranda were considered. Out of this total number of memoranda, Thirty-Six (36) werefrom the Honourable Minister of Health andForty-Three (43)werefrom the StateCommissioners of Health and FCT Secretary of Health. A total of Fifty-Eight (58) memorandacomprisingThirty-Three (33) for approval and Twenty-Five (25) for notingwere recommended by the Technical Committee while Twenty-One(21)were stepped/withdrawn. 

 

COUNCIL SESSION

4. The Council meetingwhich was held on the21st June, 2018,with the theme: “The Second National Strategic Health Development Plan: A Road Map for Achieving Universal Health Coverage” and sub-themes -  “Better Implementation Strategies for NSHDP II: The Way Forward”; “Better Health for All through revitalized Primary Health Care Service Delivery”; “Human Resources for Health: A Panacea to Overall Health Care Delivery System of a Nation”; “Public Health Emergencies: Preparedness and Response”; and “Predictable Financing and Risk Protection for Health” commenced with an opening ceremony. Goodwill messages were delivered by the representative of World Health Organization (WHO), Mr.TayoHamzat on behalf of the Development Partners Group (DPG) and Dr. Emmanuel Abanida on behalf of Civil Society Organisations.

 

5. The Honourable Commissioner for Health KanoState, Dr.Ibrahim Kabiru Getso,welcomed all Council members and other delegates on behalf of the Kano State Governor. This was followed by an address by the Honourable Minister of State for Health, Dr.OsagieEhanire MD, FWACS.

 

6. TheKeynote address titled “The Second National Strategic Health Development Plan: A Road Map for Achieving Universal Health Coverage” was delivered by the Honourable Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole. His address centred on the second National Strategic Health Development Plan which is to be implemented for the period 2018-2022 as a blue print for the health sector. He stated thatthe second plan unbundles services to be delivered by the Health Sector and is more elaborate than the first plan which had emphasis only on health system strengthening. He urged all stakeholders in the health sector to collectively ensuresignificant implementation of the second plan across all levels of government. He further highlightedthe progress made so far in implementing some key health initiatives such as SOML, BHCPF, NSHIP. Immunization coverage, polio eradication as well as containment of Public Health Emergencies among others.

 

7. The 61stNational Council on Health was thereafter, declared open by the Executive Governor ofKano State, His Excellency,Dr.Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, OFR.

 

8. At the end of the opening ceremony, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr.Osarenoma Clement Uwaifo gave the Vote of Thanks.

 

9. The Council meeting commenced with the adoption of the agenda, introduction of members in Council and setting the procedure for the meeting by the Honourable Minister of Health.

 

10. Thesummary of all the presentations made at the technical session was done by Prof.Clara LadiEjembi. The Acting Head, Monitoring and Evaluation, FMoHMr.AdelekeBalogunpresented the status of implementation of 60thNCH resolutions.Council appreciated the presentations, recommendations and the feedback by participants at the Council session.

 

11. The proceedings and the status of implementation of the 60thNCH were adopted as amended by the Council. 

RESOLUTIONS

12. Following extensive deliberations, the Council considered a total ofFifty-Eight (58)memoranda, approved Twenty-Three (23),noted Thirty-Five (35) and stepped-down/withdrew Twenty-One (21).

 

A. The following resolutions were approved: 

i) The second National Strategic Health Development Plan (NSHDP II), its associated 36 States & FCT Plans, the implementation of the Plans by all stakeholders in the health sector across all levels of government for the period 2018 to 2022 as well as the M&E Plans to track progress during implementation;

 

ii) Approved that States and the FCT should hold their respective State Council on Health meetings 2-3 months prior to the National Council on Health (NCH) meeting in order to do progress appraisal report on the resolutions of the NCH and further domesticate resolutions for presentation to the Governors’ Forum;

 

iii) That States and Health Partners should support the rollout of Health Facility Registry (HFR) in their respective States, promote its use to manage facility updates and allocate resources to the ongoing management of facility list in the States and FCT;

 

iv) The adoption and subsequent implementation of the Guidelines for Pain Management in Nigeria in all the 36 States of the Federation and the FCT;

 

v) The Emergency Medical Services Implementation Plan, the creation of an EMS Fund Account to be opened for the purpose of Managing the 5% of the 1% BHCF, and all other funds of EMS in Nigeria domiciled in FMOH and the appointment of DrNnamdi E. Nwauwa as the chairman of the Emergency Medical Treatment Committee;

 

vi) The adoption and implementation of the 2018-2022 National Cancer Control Plan (NCCP);adoption and adaptation of theimplementation Strategies and appropriate budgetary provision by all the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory(FCT);

 

vii) That every State and the FCT make financial commitments to defray the cost of survey fieldwork in their States for the Nationwide Step-Wise Survey on Non-Communicable Diseases as contained in the letter from the Hon. Minister of Health;

 

viii) The National Policy on the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of Persons with Disability with emphasis on Women and Girls for adoption, dissemination and implementation in all States of the Federation and the FCT;

 

ix) The strengthening of the State Drug Control Committee (SDCC) on the delivery of drug use sensitization, prevention, treatment and continuum of care of drug use disorder; the establishment/strengthening of at least one drug dependence treatment centre, with community drop-in-centres attached to it, by each State of the Federation/the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the training of  SMoH healthcare providers by the 25 National Master Trainers (psychiatrists)  in the provision of evidence based drug dependence treatment services;

 

x) The creation of One-Health multi-sectoral AMR Technical Working Groups to be funded in all States of the Federation, the celebration of Global Antibiotic Awareness Week in November of each year as an annual event and the institutionalization of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and HospitalAntibiotic Stewardship (HAS) in all secondary and tertiary health facilities in the country by the creation of IPC focal persons and IPC committees;

 

xi) The establishment of State/FCT Programme on NCDs to strengthen coordination for the prevention and control of Non-Communicable Diseases in Nigeria;

 

xii) That adequate budgetary provisions be made by FMoH and every SMoH for Food Safety activities as required by the NPFSIS; all State Ministries of Health to take the lead in establishing a State Food Safety Management Committee by securing appropriate approvals and all States should have a food safety desk to ensure proper implementation of the NPFS and its implementation Strategy at all levels;

 

xiii) That States should consider implementing cultural friendly policies to promote breastfeeding;

 

xiv) That the Federal Ministry of Health should publish a ten-year compilation of directives of Council and approved memos for record purposes in order to strengthen the institutional memory of the Health sector as well as ensuring that this compendium be carried out every ten years including the current state of implementation of the decisions approved;

 

xv) That all States with necessary support from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) should establish, by allocating physical space, a dedicated centre for coordination of Public Health Emergency Operations with requisite infrastructural facilities and equipment for mitigation of and response to infectious disease outbreaks before the next regular council meeting;

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xvi) The integration of Climate Change issues into all training curricula of medical and health institutions in Nigeria and teach same to all upcoming medical and health professionals. FMOH to continue further discussions into FMOE and other relevant agencies;

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xvii) A coordinated, extensive and sustained public enlightenment campaigns to be carried out by all relevant MDAs at Federal, State and Local Government levels against the use of calcium carbide for fruit ripening and the development of a National Code of Practice (NCP) on Artificial Ripening of fruits. The Federal Ministries of Health (FMoH), Agriculture & Rural Development (FMA&RD) as well as the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) to drive the process;

 

xviii) The scale up of the implementation of Maternal and Perinatal Deaths Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) in the Private Health Facilities and Communities in line with Universal Coverage with the reviewed Training Manual, Guideline and Tools as well as scaling up in 36 states and FCT, the use of the electronic platform for data entering, notification, quantification, analysis and reporting from 8 states to 36 States and FCT;

 

xix) The decentralisation and sustainability of the Free Skin Cancer Treatment for persons with Albinism in the following designated Federal Teaching Hospitals across the six Geopolitical zones in Nigeria and FCT (ABUTH, UMTH, JUTH, UNTH, UPTH, UCH and NHA);

 

xx) The institutionalization of a coordination office for health sector response to humanitariancrisis in all State Ministries of Health as well as strengthening the extant National coordination office on health sector response to humanitarian crisis;

 

xxi) That all congregate settings including the Corp camps, Religious camps, Social camps and Prisons, should consciously maintain the minimum standard necessary for Infection Prevention and Control, especially entry and exit triage systems as recommended in the National Policy.as well as ensure that there is a fully functional clinic with a holding bay for identified cases of infectious diseases in order to guarantee the interruption of transmission of infectious diseases where necessary and safeguard lives of campers and inmates.Council also constituted a team (DHS, Director Medical Prison, HCH Niger and Nasarawa States) to bring up in one month what should be discussed with the Minister of Interior;

 

xxii) That all partners share their plan of action including their annual health expenditure to be declared to their project States to ensure proper tracking of health expenditure and for estimation of the State and National Health Account;

 

B. The Council also noted that the NCH Secretariat should continue to review all Council memoranda (Federal, States) and strengthencommunication with States’ Secretariat before listing memoranda for consideration as well as build the capacity of States on writing quality memoranda.

 

13. Council noted that 35 States of the Federation and FCT were represented.

 

14. The Honourable Minister announced that the PSH would be retiring from the Federal Civil Service at the end of the week and he invited other Council members to join him in appreciating his invaluable contributions to the development of the health sector.

 

15. Council appreciatedthe support and hospitality extended to it by the Government and people of Kano State.

 

16. Council further appreciated the role of Development Partners in health, the media and other stakeholders for their contribution towards the success of the meeting.

 

17. Council agreed that the 62ndNCH will hold in DeltaStateinMayor June 2019.

 

CONCLUSION

A motion for adjournment was moved by the Honourable Commissioner for Health, Rivers State and seconded by the Honourable Commissioner for Health, SokotoState. 

 

The 61stSession of the NCH was formally closed by the Chairman of Council following the vote of thanks by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr.Osarenoma Clement Uwaifo