The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, has emphasized the need for Nigeria’s health policies to be grounded in the everyday experiences and voices of local communities.
Professor Pate made the point during the 10th anniversary of the Stella Adadevoh Health Trust in Abuja.
Professor Pate, represented by the Director, Port Health Services, Dr. Nse Akpan, stressed the importance of grassroots engagement in facilitating effective health reforms, adding that top-down strategies often failed because of the situations in communities, market places, farms, schools, religious outfits and clinics.
“Health policies will only succeed if they are designed around the needs, values, and lived experiences of people at the grassroots,” he said. “Top-down strategies often fail because they overlook the realities in our communities, marketplaces, farms, schools, churches, mosques, and clinics.”
The minister, cautioned against formulating policies without community involvement and called for active participation of youth, women and the marginalized groups in public health discussions.
Highlighting the importance of inclusivity, he called for the active participation of youth, women, and marginalized groups in public health discussions.
“Inclusion isn’t just a matter of fairness, it’s a matter of effectiveness. Our policies must work where people live, learn, and grow.”
He reaffirmed the government commitment to collaboration with the private sector, civil society, and development partners to strengthen the nation’s health systems.
The Managing Director of Stella Adadevoh Health Trust, Dr Niniola Williams hinted that the Trust outfit would establish an academy to train and certify 50,000 health workers on infection prevention and control.
“We will expand our health champions network to 500,000 people across schools, markets, faith institutions and the borders that we work in. We will also establishment centres of excellence across all six geopolitical zones,“ she said.
In July 2014, when Liberian-American Patrick Sawyer arrived in Lagos showing Ebola symptoms, Dr Adadevoh promptly identified the threat and insisted he be quarantined despite external pressure.
Her decisive action prevented a nationwide outbreak and saved countless lives. Sadly, she contracted the virus and died on August 19, 2014.
Over the past 10 years, DRASA has trained thousands of health workers, improved infection prevention and control (IPC) practices, and supported Nigeria’s readiness for disease outbreaks.
Its model aligns with the global “One Health” approach, connecting human, animal and environmental health.
