By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, MHSW, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate has pledged to ensure that accountability and evidence-based action becomes the main stay of Nigerian health sector.
Prof. Pate made this commitment on Thursday in Abuja at the 3- Day Joint Annual Review, JAR, and the launch of new Health initiative for strengthening evidence based accountability and guide on implementing national health priorities.
The minister also reinstated his commitment to an enabling environment to sustaining reforms, learning continuously, and ensuring that Nigeria’s health system continues to deliver results that matter to its people.
The minister said that Nigeria’s health sector is steadily advancing toward renewal and improved outcomes, some progress achieved under the Sector- Wide Approach, ( SWAP).
The minister acknowledged the progress recorded under the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAP).
He also acknowledged gains achieved in maternal and child health, immunisation equity, primary healthcare revitalisation, climate and health resilience, and health security.
The minister further officially adopted the 2025 JAR communique and resolutions by participants at the 3-day Health Sector Review Meeting.
He noted the strategic tools are designed
He explained that the action plan, and reports and products from the JRA 2025 is aimed at saving lives , reduce physical and financial hardship and improve health outcomes and quality of life for all Nigerians.
He explained that codifying these strategic tools ensures clarity, operational guidance, and mechanisms that help sustain progress across states and local governments.
Prof. Pate said, “I encourage you to take those tools and also have them as reference materials, electronically. Display them in your website, use them in your platforms. Make sure your technical experts pick these documents, study them, put them to action- they are good reference materials.”
The minister praised the Permanent Secretary, Deju Kachallom and the management team at SWAP for their leadership on climate and health adaptation and acknowledged her fkr her expertize in climate and health.
Pate commended participants, development partners, commissioners of health, heads of agencies, civil society, and the private sector for their commitment throughout the three-day review.
Kachallom who presented the 2025 JAR communique stated that the resolutions will bond commitment, strengthen accountabilityand ensure all stakeholders move forward with a unified agenda for sector reform.
