Health, financial experts to brainstorm on health financing, asthma treatment, others in Enugu

No fewer than 1,000 health and financial experts and stakeholders will be brought together to brainstorm on health financing, Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and asthma treatment at the 2023 Amaka Chiwuike-Uba International Asthma Conference (ACUBIAC 2023).

The conference is scheduled to hold in Enugu on July 20, 2023, with former Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, as Chairman of the conference.

The ACUBIAC 2023, which is the third in the series of international advocacy and public-private dialogue for better health sector environment, is themed: “COVID-19 and the Future in the Past: Health Financing and Universal Health Coverage in Africa”.

Dr Chiwuike Uba, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Amaka Chiwuike-Uba Foundation (ACUF), made this known in a statement issued on Monday in Enugu and titled: “A Concept Note of the Conference”.

Uba said that the conference would stimulate dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders on health financing and UHC, adding that in particular, it would help to secure financial and political commitments to increase, prioritise, and sustain funding.

According to him, the brainstorming session in the conference will improve the effectiveness and efficiency of investments/financing in the health sector and access to quality and affordable healthcare in Nigeria.

He said the conference would ensure accelerated progress towards UHC, including access to essential health services, and scaled up action on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), to meet global targets to reduce the number of people dying from NCDs like asthma, diabetes, cancer etc.

He added that the conference would raise awareness among policy makers and other stakeholders to the importance of and the opportunity health financing and public spending on health play in creating stronger, more resilient health systems in Africa.

Uba said the conference would lead to the exchange of knowledge and practical experiences in delivering quality, affordable, equitable and sustainable health care services in resource-constrained environments through innovations (efficient medical devices) and financing/delivery models.

This, he said, would provide building a coalition in support of national and global action on health financing and universal health care coverage and delivery.

He said: “One of the major problems facing Africa, especially Nigeria, is the lack of healthcare structures, materials and healthcare workers, archaic methods, poor health care financing, poor/low health care services, and the inability to build upon lessons learned.

“These problems persist despite the recognition of the right to life as a fundamental human right of all human beings, by the Constitutions, international charters, commissions and conventions and most recently, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“Specifically, SDG-3 has an overarching objective to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. Nevertheless, the achievement of the remaining 16 SGDs rests squarely on the achievement of SDG-3.

 “In addition, about 38 per cent of Africans delay or forgo healthcare due to high costs, even when the continent is carrying 23 per cent of the global disease burden, with lower respiratory diseases (including asthma) as one of the highest six major diseases.

“In Nigeria, the profound lack of recommended asthma medicines in pharmacies is worrisome. In most cases, the available medicines, such as oral corticosteroids, have multiple adverse side effects.

“Unfortunately, these oral formulations are on the Nigerian Essential Medical List (EML) which is clearly out of tune with the current recommendations by WHO. None of the medicines that are the mainstay of treatment for asthma is available in Nigeria.”

Speakers at the conference will include President, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Uche Ojinmah; Prof of Health Economics, Systems and Policy, Prof. Obinna Onwujekwe, and President, Global Allergy & Airways Patient Platform (GAAPP), Tonya Winders.

Others are Paediatric Pulmonologist, UNTH, Enugu, Dr. Adaeze Ayuk, Economic Consultant and former Special Adviser to the President on National Development Matters, Dr. Ifediora Amobi, and Leadership Consultant and Founder Human Rights Volunteer Corps, Comrade Larry Oguego, among others. (NAN)