Idowu Sowunmi
Founder and Chairman of Africa Initiative for Governance, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, in collaboration with the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PSHAN) have unveiled a new initiative geared towards significantly improving Nigeria’s healthcare system at the grassroots level.
The innovative strategy, which was in furtherance of a vision from an earlier stakeholders’ roundtable, entailed delivering one Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in each of Nigeria’s 774 local government areas at global standards.
Under this private sector-driven initiative, universal health access would be provided for low-income citizens residing in rural and urban areas through the Adopt-a-Health Facility Programme (ADHFP).
ADHFP, according to PSHAN Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Sonny Nwarisi, would be sponsored by a group of Angel Investors and other institutions.
He said these “Angels” would each take responsibility for one or more PHCs – they would build and operate the PHCs for the period of adoption under strict rules and guidelines.
ADHFP is a multi-impact initiative with several benefits including: Saving lives, Improvement in health outcomes, Job creation, and Gender empowerment.
Aig-Imoukhuede and PSHAN recently initiated ADHFP design phase which would be handled by Vesta Healthcare Partners, a global healthcare consultancy firm.
This consultancy engagement was expected to deliver key programme components such as: legal and regulatory framework, public private partnership framework, PHC facility and management standards, financing arrangements, governance arrangements, supply chain management, and technology and systems.
The design phase would involve active participation of notable development-focused organisations like: Global Citizen, ABCHealth, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, World Bank, International Finance Corporation (IFC), MTN Nigeria Plc, Dangote Group, Zenith Bank, Access Bank, Stanbic-IBTC Bank, PwC, Cisco, Ford Foundation, Nigerian Stock Exchange, and Flying Doctors Nigeria.
Others are: Africa Practice, Cedar Advisory Partners, GBCHealth, Health Federation of Nigeria, Health Law, Eti-Osa Local Government, JNC International Ltd, Johnson & Johnson, Justice in Healthcare, Lagos State Government, MSD for Mothers, Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), ONE Campaign, PharmAccess Foundation, Women-At-Risk International Foundation as well as Lagos State Government and the Office of Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals among others.
