While celebrating this year’s World Health Day, different groups, including the Rivers Contributory Health Protection Programme and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa canvassed the need for improved healthcare outcomes in the country, insisting that a healthy citizen with access to quality care and healthy diet devoid of junks make a health nation
By Edu Abade
In spite of the political crisis and the declaration of a state of emergency in the state, the Rivers Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP), has again, highlighted the benefits of health insurance in engendering the improved health of the people and urged policymakers at all levels, healthcare providers and individuals to prioritise maternal and child health.
Acting Executive Secretary of RIVCHPP, Dr. Vetty Agala, who stated this at Ozuoba, Obio/Akpor Council on the sidelines of the 2025 World Health Day celebrations, reaffirmed that despite the level of progress made in the health sector, there are still critical issues that affect the wellbeing of mothers and children.
She stressed that RIVCHPP has ensured that mothers and their children have access to essential healthcare services and it has provided financial risk protection for residents of the state, among others, and urged all residents, especially pregnant women to take advantage of the window created by the agency to improve on the health needs of the people and save them money and emotional trauma.
Also, speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary, Rivers Ministry of Health, Dr. Comfort Mekele Igwe, noted that health is not just about hospitals and medicines, but also about the food people eat, the water they drink, the place they live and work and the information they could access and enjoined Rivers people to prioritise their health.
She restated that the state government recognises that healthcare remains a fundamental human right, and that is why the government has been working tirelessly to ensure every resident of the state has access to quality health care.
RIVCHPP enrollees at Ozuoba, who spoke on their experiences with the scheme in the last one year, highlighted the benefits and challenges where applicable, insisting that the healthcare scheme under Dr. Agala has achieved several milestones within the short period of its establishment.
In his remarks, newly elected National President of Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria (APHPN), Dr. Kene Terfaa, who commended the RIVCHPP for it achievements and for partnering with APHPN in celebration of the World Health Day in the state, in spite of the emergency rule, noted that the association will continue to work with communities to promote education and support healthcare schemes in Rivers and across the country.
Speaking, President of the Rivers State chapter of the association, Dr. Aloni Alali, said every life was important, which is why the association has partnered RIVCHPP and Healthstream Medicare to organise the World Health Day celebration, adding that the activities of the day included enlightenment, enrolment into RIVCHPP programmes and medical outreach.
On their part, residents of the state confirmed that they continue to enjoy robust healthcare services and programmes targeted at improving their health knowledge and indices despite the emergency rule.
On Monday, April 7, 2025, RIVCHPP in collaboration with the Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria (APHPN), and Healthstream Medicare, joined the rest of the world to commemorate World Health Day 2025 at the Model Primary Health Centre, Ozuoba.
Speaking on the theme of the 2025 World Health Day: Healthy Beginning, Hopeful Futures, the Role of Health Insurance, Dr. Agala, who cited WHO statistics, said about 800 women die globally daily during childbirth, adding that everyone has a role to play to reduce maternal and child morbidity in the country.
She stated that health insurance ensures the availability of healthcare services, easy access and improved utilisation of healthcare services, reduction in financial burden when there is need to access health care services, among other vital services rendered to the people, thanking the government of Rivers State for authorising the functioning of RIVCHPP as a health insurance agency in state.
A statement made available to journalists by the Information and Media Officer of RIVCHPP, Idanye Oruigoni, indicated that Dr. Agala announced that the agency has enrolled over 87,000 residents across the state, who presently access quality healthcare services in the 23 councils of the state without necessarily making payments at point of accessing care.
Dr. Agala, who also pointed out that the current emergency rule in the state has neither hindered the agency’s operations, nor prevented enrollees from accessing quality healthcare services, pledged that the agency will ensure that more and more Rivers residents, especially pregnant mothers and children from 0 to 5 years continue to enjoy free health services when they enrol in the scheme.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Health, Dr. Comfort Mekele Igwe, announced that Rivers State Government will continue to strengthen the healthcare system in the state, saying that state recognises health as a fundamental human right and not a privilege assuring that the government will continue to ensure that everyone residing in the State has access to quality health care services.
Also speaking with the media on the sidelines of the event, the State Chairman of APHPN, Dr. Aloni Adolphus Alali, said that the world health day celebration was used to interact with, and to educate the people in the community on birth preparedness, safety of newbriths and other key issues, all in an effort to contribute to the safe delivery and safety of the newborn in order to reduce maternal and infant mortality.
Alali, who thanked all the partners for the success of the day, said that part of the day’s celebrations was enrollment of persons by RIVCHPP and interaction with existing enrollees.
Other dignitaries who graced the event are the Rivers State Coordinator of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Prof. Abdulganiyu Giwa, Dr. Simene of the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) and Dr. Awuri Luke Head, Department of Community Medicine in the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH) and Rivers State University (RSU).
MEANWHILE, as the global community acknowledges the World Health Day, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) renewed its call for governments at all levels to prioritise adequate healthcare funding and the adoption of healthy food policies to curb the exposure of Nigerians to unhealthy diets, which are aggressively promoted by the sugary drinks and ultra-processed industry and are worsening the country’s non-communicable diseases (NCDs) burden.
The 2025 WHD theme Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures, focuses on the health of mothers and babies- the foundation of healthy families and hopeful futures. CAPPA noted that this year’s reflection provides an opportunity for the government to review and strengthen its healthy food systems so it can guarantee Nigerians’ access to nutritious food.
In a statement issued by Media and Communication Officer of CAPPA, Robert Egbe, the group referenced data showing that Nigeria’s health indicators are in dire straits, with cases of NCDs, malnutrition, infectious diseases, and maternal mortality being some of the worst in the world.
Speaking, Executive Director, CAPPA , Akinbode Oluwafemi said: “Every day, many parents – misled by the ultra-processed food industry – inadvertently make food choices high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) that harm their children’s health,”.
“This industry aggressively promotes the excessive consumption of nutrient-poor, calorie-dense products – that it presents as foods-thus exacerbating Nigeria’s already troubling prevalence of non-communicable diseases like obesity, diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular conditions, and placing additional strain on the country’s healthcare system.
“All of these are further compounded by the alarming exodus of healthcare professionals, and poor state of health infrastructure in the country, largely because of poor funding of the sector.”
The statement noted that the Federal Government allocated ₦2.48 trillion to the health sector in the 2025 budget, which is 5.18 per cent of the total ₦47.9 trillion budget, noting that while this is an improvement compared to the 2024 budgetary allocation, it falls significantly short of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendation of 13 per cent and the African Union’s Abuja Declaration target of 15 per cent. The Abuja Declaration, signed in 2001, commits African Union member states to allocate at least 15 per cent of their national budgets to the health sector.
In a related development, CAPPA also commended the Nigerian government and public health authorities, for launching the National Guideline for Sodium Reduction, urging them to view such policies as low-hanging fruits with high yields in the race to protect public health. The Guideline, a policy designed to tackle excessive salt consumption and reduce the growing burden of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases in the country, was launched in Abuja on March 26, 2025, by the federal government and its local and international partners, including Resolve to Save Lives, Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) and Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED).
To guarantee the effectiveness of the Guidelines, CAPPA called on the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to expedite action on formulating a suitable regulation that will ensure the enforcement of sodium (salt) targets in processed and packaged foods.
