By: George Ozalla
A gathering of passionate healthcare professionals took place in Abuja yesterday, heralding a significant milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to revamp its health sector. The event, titled “Sharing and Learning,” was part of the Global Health Workforce Programme (GHWP), which has successfully trained over 3,000 health workers in active support of the Federal Government’s health sector initiative according to report made available to newsmen.
It is an initiative primarily aimed towards revamping health care workforce, this was also disclosed during the high level Global Health Workforce Programme (GHWP).
The objective of the initiative is to essentially collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare workforce, thereby build capacity, resilience and curb the ongoing regular migration of critical health professionals from the country.
GHWP, led by Ducit Blue Solutions and supported by the UK Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), is fostering a resilient healthcare workforce and promoting Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through strategic partnerships across Nigeria, according to Estelle Mbadiwe, the In Country Coordinator for Global Health Partnerships and Founding Partner of Ducit Blue Solutions.
Mbadiwe- speaking further explained the importance of stakeholder engagement in shaping national priorities for health workforce development.
She highlighted healthcare partnership model, which has assisted bilateral learning, enabling Nigeria to embrace global best practices while sharing its own unique experiences.
According to her, a key element of the initiative is the training-of-trainers model, ensuring that expertise is transferred across a broader network of professionals for long-term stability and sustainability in the health workforce.
“The programme has trained 2,577 healthcare workers, with 62% being female and 867 male. These workers have been equipped with skills in clinical care, gender equity, social inclusion, and leadership development.
“Post-training assessments show that 92% of the participants demonstrated improved knowledge and skills.
“Beyond training, the initiative has enhanced healthcare education through pre-training curricula focused on sexual and renal healthcare, expanded nursing training, and improved breast cancer care management through multidisciplinary team training.
“Mentorship networks have also been established, such as the Early Childhood Development Program, which connects UK professionals with local healthcare workers at Dr. Miyamoto University Institute.
“The Breast Cancer Care Program has trained professionals who now support a national network in cancer care.
“Over 1,000 healthcare workers have received specialist clinical training in areas such as emergency obstetric and rheumatology care.
“The programme has contributed to strengthening HIV data systems and optimizing health worker distribution strategies”.
Noting that the GHWP is addressing the mass migration of health workers from Nigeria, she said, “One of Nigeria’s most pressing healthcare challenges is the migration of trained professionals, commonly referred to as the “Japa” syndrome.
“That is why the programme acknowledged the issue. By working closely with regulatory bodies and the Ministry of Health, the initiative aims to create an enabling environment that enhances the well-being of medical professionals, ensuring that they remain in the country to deliver quality healthcare.
“While the programme contributes to mitigating workforce shortages, it is not a stand-alone solution to the migration crisis but part of a broader strategy to improve healthcare retention.
Similarly Toyin Saraki, Founder of Wellbeing Foundation Africa took time to highlight the programme’s importance in partnership- closing critical gaps in the healthcare delivery sector.
She reiterated that partnerships towards repositioning the nation’s health sector is essential.
According to her, Wellbeing Foundation Africa, a critical partner in the GHWP, in partnership with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, has successfully established two national centres of excellence in Lagos and Abuja, focused on advanced obstetric and surgical training.
The centres aim to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare workforce at a specialized level, complementing government efforts, she opined.
“Given Nigeria’s vast population of over 220 million, all contributions toward healthcare capacity building are invaluable.
“The success of past training programmes, such as the emergency obstetric and newborn care training launched in 2015, underscores the potential of these interventions.
“Previous initiatives in States like Kwara have demonstrated a tangible impact, reducing maternal and neonatal mortality while improving overall healthcare outcomes.
“Concerns regarding healthcare worker retention remain a focal point of discussion.
“That is the reason this programme emphasizes continuous professional development as a key factor in keeping trained professionals in Nigeria.
“Encouragingly, none of the health workers trained under the Wellbeing Foundation Africa initiative have migrated, a testament to the program’s effectiveness in fostering career satisfaction and professional growth.
In her remarks, Fatima Kyari, the Registrar of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, (MDCN), commended the GWHP initiative for its focus on health workers’ capacity building and development.
She stated that the need to address the mass migration of health workers, highlighting key strategies to tackle the issue, stressing, “Beyond addressing migration challenges, we must also harness our global networks, engaging Nigerian doctors and dentists abroad while supporting those who remain- by enhancing their tools, research opportunities, and professional development.”
Margaret Caffrey, Technical Director for Health Systems Strengthening at Global Health partnerships stated that: “A strong workforce is central to health system performance and achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC). However, prevailing health worker shortages, skill mix imbalances, maldistribution, outmigration, and investment challenges are significant barriers to achieving a sustainable and equitable global health workforce”. Caffrey stressed.
The well attended robust event later dissolved into technical, panel sessions and group discussions respectively.
The project is funded by the United Kingdom UK International Development.
Some of the participants at the event include: Dr Ugo Okoli from Jhpiego Oris Ikiddeh, Dr Nwakaego Chukwukadibia, Dr OJO, Olumuyiwa Adesanya, Dr Ebere Anyachukwu, Justina Joshua-Eke, Mathilde Wangen, Adenike Badiora and others.
Highlights of the event include video presentation and group photographs.
