President Jonathan to Chair Universal Health Coverage

President Goodluck Jonathan would on Monday, March 10, preside over the Presidential Summit on Universal Health Coverage(UHC),the Minister of Health, Prof. Oyebuchi Chukwu has said.

Chukwu who disclosed this while briefing newsmen on the forthcoming summit on Monday in Abuja, said the aim of the summit is meant to demonstrate government's commitment to achieving universal health coverage in Nigeria.

The theme of the summit is "UHC-Vehicle for Sustainable Growth and Development’’.

According to him, to ensure health for majority of people would require both availability and accessibility to health infrastructure and  services.

"The summit is not stopping all current efforts to achieving universal health coverage, but to make it clear to all  that it is a national project.
"What the President is going to do with the summit will be much more comprehensive in addressing not only financial access but  also geographical access.
"The idea of the summit is to address so many issues for the realisation of the universal health coverage in the country" he said.

The health minister further disclosed that the president had set a target of 30 per cent coverage of the universal coverage in Nigeria by 2015. He expressed optimism that the UHC would help address the issue of incessant strike in the health sector of the country.

He called on local and international media to join hands wit the President and the federal ministry of health on the summit, stressing that it would be a historical moment for the country.

The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Amb. Sani Bala, also urged Nigerians to support government efforts at securing good health services in the country.

Bala said the universal health insurance was one of the government strategies to promote good health system.