By Ken Afor
Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has urged African leaders to collaborate with other countries worldwide for sustainable healthcare delivery, even as the continent continues to grapple with numerous health challenges.
The President made the call on Saturday at the Ministerial Executive Leadership Programme during the ongoing 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
President Tinubu, appointed as the AU Champion for Human Resources for Health and Community Health Delivery Partnership, stated that various health issues, including malaria, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis, among others, can be tackled with deliberate efforts by leaders on the continent to seek effective partnerships with other countries worldwide.
He emphasized that such collaboration could unlock opportunities leading to innovative ideas in health and other critical sectors.
He said: “Together, we can catalyze meaningful change and unlock new opportunities for innovation and impact in our continent. Not Africa in isolation, but a global Africa, engaged in respectful and well-considered partnerships with the rest of the world.
“Our continent still grapples with numerous health issues that require urgent attention. Infectious diseases remain a significant burden, such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and cholera, and threats of re-emerging infectious diseases that can devastate communities and entire economies.
“Access to essential healthcare services remain limited, especially in many rural areas, due to factors such as inadequate infrastructure, financial barriers, and more seriously, an acute shortage of trained manpower that is aggravated by workforce migration to wealthier countries.
“Noncommunicable diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer, are on the rise in our continent, further straining healthcare systems that are already struggling to cope. There still remains the critical need to address maternal and child health, as high maternal and child mortality rates continue to claim precious lives.”
It would be recalled that Africa was able to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic by leveraging on coordinated partnerships with other countries worldwide.
Through these partnerships, some countries on the continent, including Nigeria, received assistance with COVID-19 vaccines to combat the virus, which claimed millions of lives globally.
