UK commits £2 million to strengthen Nigeria’s health workforce

07 Jun UK commits £2 million to strengthen Nigeria’s health workforce

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced a new funding commitment by the United Kingdom’s Department of Health and Social Care to support Nigeria in strengthening her health workforce in the vision of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

The grant, according to a statement by the WHO, amounting to £2 million, will cover a two-year period to support Nigeria to optimise the performance, quality and impact of the health workforce through evidence-informed policies and strategies.

The UK provided a multi-million-pound boost to support healthcare staff recruitment and retention in three African countries – Kenya, Nigeria, and Ghana – supporting resilience against global health challenges.

It noted the health system, like many countries in the global south, has been beset with challenges in having a resilient health system that is able to provide quality health services, promote health and prevent diseases.

The challenges have been further exacerbated by the recent COVID-19 pandemic, which directly impacts the availability of health workers to provide quality services across the country.

According to the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Richard Montgomery, “A skilled, well-motivated and adequate health workforce is critical for Nigeria to #EndPreventableDeaths and build resilience against global threats.

“This UK International Development funding aligns with the Nigerian health workforce strategic plan and will help the country upskill its workers, and improve health outcomes in the long run.”

The two-year Human Resource for Health (HRH) project aims to support the government at national and sub-national levels and support regulatory bodies, professional associations, and other key stakeholders to develop transformative strategies for scaling up the quantity and quality of health workers, including competency-based curricula development and reviews.