HONOURABLE MINISTER OF HEALTH ADDRESS AT THE VALIDATION OF HEALTH SECTOR COVID-19 PANDEMIC ACTION PLAN
The Honourable Minister of State for Health, the Permanent Secretary, directors and Heads of Agencies, partners and other invited guests. It’s with great pleasure that I welcome you all to this validation exercise. As we are all aware the nation and the world at large has been dealing with the Novel Corona Virus Pandemic since the outbreak was first confirmed in China in November, 2019. Nigeria recorded its first case in Feb 2020.
2. In managing this outbreak, we drew on lessons from the management of the Ebola outbreak which was widely complimented and described as a ‘piece of world class epidemiological detective work’. This has resulted in no small measure to the level of containment which has been recorded in the fight against the virus.
3. While the response efforts of the Federal Ministry of Health and its agencies especially the NCDC and other critical role players under the leadership of the HMH has been commendable, National data indicate that we have since transitioned to the stage of community transmission of the virus. This transition also called for expanded but well-coordinated health sector response.
4. The National Health Sector COVID-19 Pandemic Response Action Plan is a product of my directive to review and repackage the Health Sector Response into ONE Response Plan strategically placed to address the issues of community transmission while sustaining actions already in place in response to the pandemic and ensuring maintenance of the routine essential health services. It accommodates all existing COVID-19 plans within the health sector as subsets and it is draws from and aligns with the PTF Pandemic Response Plan and NSHDP II while building on the NCDC Incident Action Plan.
5. An eight-man committee was tasked with reviewing and harmonizing all existing COVID-19 plans into ONE HEALTH SECTOR RESPONSE PLAN. The committee commenced activities on 16th April 2020 to deliberate and agree on a framework for the plan. The secretariat domiciled within the Department of Special Projects has been working round the clock to provide all the necessary support to ensure delivery of the plan within the allotted timeframe.
6. Mindful of the emergency nature of the assignment, and the very short time frame within which the assignment is to be delivered, the HMH graciously approved mobilization of partners to support the ministry to facilitate the process and ensure delivery of a document that is reflective of the situation and meet the needs of the entire health sector. And we are grateful to WHO, DFID (through the Lafiya Project) and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) for their continued support to the process.
7. The development of the action plan was presented during the virtual NCH which held on Tuesday 21st April 2020 and noted by the council. Since then, several drafts of the document have been circulated to all relevant departments, agencies for review and comments. Each draft being updated with relevant comments as received from DPAs
9. A special TMC was also convened to discuss the document and as part of the process leading to its finalization.
10. This document is the product of rigorous process of engagement and multiple review processes by all DPAs under the FMoH and WHO and it is expected to meet the need of all actors in the health sector and also act as a single point of entry for all to the COVID-19 pandemic response.
11. Further steps that are to be taken following this validation meeting include:
a. Convene Special NCH to create awareness, endorsement and buy-in by states;
b. Presentation of the action plan document to the Nigeria Governors Forum;
c. Engagement with PTF to streamline the Health sector plan with the PTF plan;
d. Convening and Presentation to Health Partners Coordination Committee meeting
At this point I will like to appreciate everyone that has contributed to the development of this important document and it is my hope that it will guide us to bring an end to the pandemic in Nigeria.
