By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The World Health Organization, WHO, has urged the Nigerian Government to include the 15% exclusive budget to it’s healthcare funding list.
WHO Country Representative, Dr Walter Kazadi Molumbo made this call on Saturday at the “Walk the Talk” exercise to commemorate 75th anniversary of WHO, adding that if the government adds health to Exclusive budget list, it will guarantee adherence to the 2001, 15 percent funding pledge made in the Abuja Declaration.
Molumbo noted that WHO is looking forward to a world where health will be seen as enabler, socioeconomic development rather than a world of consumption goods, but as a world where health issues will be treated as human rights.
“We look into a world where no child will miss a vaccine, we look into a world where no adult , no adolescents will miss a vaccine that will help them grow better”.
“We look to a world where health issues will be considered the same way they consider security and developmental issues. I think with the member states who are the constituency of WHO it should be possible and including Nigeria.”
“This is “Walk the Talk”on the occasion of WHO 75th anniversary and in remembrance of when WHO was established two years after the universal declaration human rights, there was a request for UN organization to look into the aspect of right to health and to consider human rights, that is how WHO was funded from the hardship of world war 11 and today we are celebrating the legacy, the achievements including small pox eradication.”
We are working to eradicate polio globally mostly as an opportunity for us to remember why WHO was established and there was a constitution which is based on human rights approach, he stressed.
Further, the Country Representative that said WHO is reminding the world through the “walk the talk” that is not about what the WHO did in the last 75 years but it is about what it will do in the next 75 years.
“It is not about yesterday, but about tomorrow and the future . We want to use it to remind the world that nothing can bite physical exercise especially as we are seeing demographic transition people are living longer , we need to adapt and adjust to health system and health issues of WHO.”
Speaking about the significance of the walk exercise, he said it is done every Saturday and journalists have being invited to join on the occasion of the WHO 75th anniversary to continue the celebration.
