WHO, Diplomats Seek Stronger Support for Nigeria’s Health Sector
By Ali Mohammed Zanna
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called for stronger international cooperation to support Nigeria’s health reforms, improve emergency preparedness and address public health threats.
The WHO Representative in Nigeria, Dr Pavel Ursu, made the call at the second Health Diplomacy Dialogue in Abuja, attended by more than 60 representatives of 35 diplomatic missions, UN agencies, development partners and media organisations.
Ursu said health diplomacy was crucial to translating global discussions into practical actions that improved health outcomes.
He said stronger diplomatic engagement would help align Nigeria’s health priorities with regional and global initiatives and attract support for government-led programmes.
According to WHO, it supported Nigeria in the past 12 months in disease surveillance, immunisation, laboratory services, emergency preparedness and responses to public health emergencies.
The organisation is also providing technical assistance to strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness for Ebola virus disease, with personal protective equipment and laboratory reagents expected in the country.
The dialogue reviewed the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and the Sector-Wide Approach, which seek to improve coordination, strengthen national leadership and align investments with health priorities.
The Honorary Consul of Colombia to Nigeria, Maricel Romero, said the COVID-19 pandemic underscored the need for proactive international cooperation against health threats.
Similarly, the Head of Cooperation at the European Union Delegation to Nigeria, Massimo De Luca, called for sustained investment in immunisation, water, sanitation and stronger health systems.
Participants also discussed antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a growing public health threat.
Estimates cited at the meeting indicated that AMR was associated with more than one million deaths annually in Africa, while global projections suggested it could cause up to 39 million deaths between 2025 and 2050 without effective interventions.
Nigeria is scheduled to host the fifth High-Level Ministerial Conference on AMR in Abuja from Dec. 6 to Dec. 8, 2026.
The conference is expected to bring together political leaders, health experts, researchers and development partners to advance efforts to combat AMR.
Participants at the dialogue were urged to promote high-level government participation, support the proposed Abuja Compact and mobilise political and financial commitments to implement agreed measures.
The meeting ended with a commitment to strengthen cooperation between diplomatic missions and Nigeria’s health sector to support reforms, improve emergency preparedness and accelerate action against AMR.
