Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PSHAN), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), celebrated the official signing of the partnership agreement for the “Adopt-A-Healthcare Facility Programme (ADHFP)” in a signing ceremony held in Victoria Island, Lagos. The collaboration signifies a crucial milestone in the collective effort to accelerate access to quality primary healthcare delivery for improved health outcomes in Nigeria, laying the foundation for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and health security.

The ADHFP initiative is set to establish at least one global-standard Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in each of Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs), aligning with the guidelines of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and the Health Sector Renewal Investment Programme of the Federal Ministry of Health.

In her welcome address, Dr. Tinuola Akinbolagbe, MD/CEO of PSHAN, emphasised the importance of strategic collaboration with WHO in uniting diverse stakeholders to achieve Universal Health Coverage and improve health outcomes nationwide.

“This strategic partnership is significant and aligns with the sector-wide approach of the Federal Ministry of Health to healthcare delivery. By bringing together the diverse expertise, resources, and perspectives of the public and private sectors, academia, civil society, and international agencies, we lay the foundation for realising UHC. With this partnership, we aim to leverage the strengths and resources of both partners to address pressing health challenges and improve health outcomes across the country.” she stated.

She also added, “At the core of our partnership lies the visionary Adopt-A-Healthcare Facility Programme (ADHFP), a PSHAN flagship initiative with an innovative financing mechanism, aimed at establishing globally standardised Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Areas with the support of our Adopters and Strategic Partners. This initiative embodies our collective resolve to bridge the gap between healthcare demand and supply, empower local communities, rebuild trust in our healthcare system and catalyse systemic change from the grassroots up.”

Reiterating the importance of this collaboration, Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo, WHO Nigeria Representative and Head of Mission, added, “Our partnership with PSHAN marks a significant agreement to provide technical support and mobilize resources for implementing targeted interventions in primary care programmes and services, facilitated by private-sector involvement. Together, we will establish global-standard primary healthcare centres as models for others to follow. We will collaborate to identify priority areas for intervention, assess healthcare facilities in need of support, implement targeted interventions, track achievements, and document best practices for ongoing learning and scalability. This comprehensive approach ensures that our efforts complement government initiatives and drive significant improvements in health outcomes across Nigeria.”.

It will be recalled that on April 4, 2024, PSHAN and WHO held a signing-off ceremony at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, which was witnessed by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammed Ali Pate, and the Executive Director, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Muyi Aina, amongst other esteemed government officials, ministry representatives, and development agencies. The Lagos event brought together private sector stakeholders to witness the ceremony and show their support for both organizations.

Special guests who attended the signing ceremony include Mr Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede (CFR), Chairman, Access Holdings and Chairman, Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation; Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede, Executive Vice-Chairman, Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation; Weert Borner, Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany Lagos; Odunayo Sanya, Executive Director, MTN Foundation; Kemi Dasilva-Ibru, Founder, Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF);Aisha Haruna, representing Dr Kelechi Ohiri,  the Director General, National Health Insurance Authority, , among others.

As the country grapples with various health challenges, including high out-of-pocket payments, infectious diseases, maternal and child health issues, and non-communicable diseases, this partnership holds great promise in addressing complex healthcare challenges while using innovative approaches to drive positive change towards improved health outcomes for generations to come.

As part of the innovative drive towards transforming primary healthcare delivery in Nigeria, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PSHAN) under the “Adopt-A-Healthcare Facility Program (ADHFP)”.

The signing ceremony by WHO Representative in Nigeria Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, and Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of PSHAN, Dr Tinuola Akinbolagbe, which took place on 4 April 2024. was witnessed by the Nigerian Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammed Ali Pate, and the Executive Director, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Muyi Aina.

The partnership between WHO and PSHAN signifies the collaborative effort to accelerate financing and access to quality primary health care delivery for improved health outcomes in Nigeria as the foundation for Universal Health Care Coverage (UHC) and health security. It comes at a time when the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare is rolling out implementation of the Health Sector Renewal Investment Program (HSRIP) and the innovative Sector Wide Approach (SWAp) in collaboration with the States, and development partners.

Delivering the keynote address. Professor Pate congratulated both organizations on the partnership and appreciated the contribution of notable stakeholders in the initiative which key to the government’s health transformative agenda.

“We are very pleased to see this beginning to gather momentum. It is good to see a partnership like this being crafted. A few years ago, the “Adopt-A-Healthcare Facility Program” was launched and we acknowledge the leaders who have contributed already. So, congratulations for keeping the flag flying, and WHO also for supporting PSHAN.

Making a call for more private-sector collaboration in the health sector, Prof Pate advised WHO and PSHAN to prioritize tracking the progress recorded in the newly forged partnership.

He explained that the government is particular about health and PHC as the basis for delivering health services to the people.

“It will government at the federal, state, and local government levels as well as the private sector to happen. In the spirit of a sector-wide approach, we are improving the quality of governance in the health space in terms of holding ourselves accountable at all levels and also in the private sector.

“I look forward to tracking progress that is being made in terms of facilities that are adopted and made functional and encourage the private sector to support this initiative under the oversight of NPHCDA which is the government institution that drives the primary healthcare agenda of the country”, he said.

In his opening remark, the WHO Representative to Nigeria, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo said that this unique partnership between WHO and PSHAN aims to leverage the comparative advantages of the two organizations to accelerate primary healthcare revitalization towards the achievement of Universal Health Coverage and health security in Nigeria in line with the one plan, one budget, one report, and one conversation principles of the SWAp agenda of the Federal Ministry of Health.

“This partnership is consistent with the WHO offer to the Government of Nigeria as encapsulated in the 4th Generation Nigeria Country Cooperation Strategy (CCSIV) which over the next 4 years, would guide our commitment and investment to ensure that no one is indeed left behind, in line with the GPW13 and ensuing GPW14.

As the secretariat to member states on health, there, the WHO is committed to providing ongoing technical assistance to PSHAN and NPHCDA on this project, to ensure capacity strengthening and adherence to guidelines, norms, and standards: accountability for results and value for money, as well as expansion of the learning agenda through innovative financing evidence generation and use,” he stated.

Delivering the welcome address, the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of PSHAN, Dr Tinuola Akinbolagbe expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration with WHO and reiterated the organization’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s healthcare sector towards achieving UHC by leveraging on the strengths, expertise, and resources of both partners to address pressing health challenges and improve health outcomes across the country.

“At the core of our partnership lies the visionary Adopt-A-Healthcare Facility Programme (ADHFP), a flagship initiative aimed at establishing global-standard Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Areas.

This initiative embodies our collective resolve to bridge the gap between healthcare demand and supply, empower local communities, and catalyze systemic change from the grassroots up. Through targeted investments, capacity-building initiatives, and innovative approaches to service delivery, we aim to create a healthcare ecosystem that is resilient, responsive, and inclusive’, she stated.

Under the MOU, WHO and PSHAN will work together to identify priority areas for intervention, assess healthcare facilities in need of support, mobilize resources to implement targeted interventions, track results of achievements, and document best practices for ongoing learning and scale-up.

As the country grapples with various health challenges, including high out-of-pocket payments, infectious diseases, maternal and child health issues, and non-communicable diseases, this partnership holds great promise in addressing complex healthcare challenges while using innovative approaches to drive positive change toward improved health outcomes for generations to come.

The World Health Organization is currently reassessing it’s Country Cooperation Strategy 2018-2022 (CSS III) in order to pinpoint transformative strategic paths and partnerships that will bolster the nation’s healthcare system, foster significant advancements in public health, and yield improved health outcomes over the next five years.

This news was received with much hope for the realization of a Nigeria with quality healthcare made accessible to its people.

The Nigerian government’s healthcare reforms agenda is also being set up to align with the existing national health plans to improve the health fortune of the people of Nigeria.

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