The Federal Ministry of Information and Culture is to partner with the
World Health Organisation (WHO) to sensitize the public on measures aimed at tackling Non-Communicable Diseases
(NCDs) and Tuberculosis.
The Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, stated this while responding to the
request of the WHO Coordinator for NCDs Primary Prevention, Dr
Jean-Marie Dangou, who led a high level Joint United Nations
Programming Mission on NCDs and Tuberculosis on a courtesy visit to
the Minister in Abuja on Monday.
Mohammed said the ministry was ready and willing to support WHO
as part of its contribution to the quest for Universal Health
Coverage.
“We understood that you have come asking for our platforms to use to
send out your messages and that is why you can see that all the
relevant platforms that the country has are here today. Without being
immodest, I think here you are speaking to the converted and we have
practical experience,” he said.
The Minister said going by the statistics of deaths caused by NCDs and
Tuberculosis in the country, which cut across the young and active
population, the ministry is more than willing to partner with WHO on
the preventive measures against the diseases.
“What we need from you is the content. We have the platforms but we
need the content. In other words, what message do you want to put out
there in respect of the non-communicable diseases and tuberculosis?
“You have just told us here that we lose 18 people everyday to
tuberculosis and that these people are the youngest and the most
active, so we can understand really why this team needs our support
and collaboration,” he said.
In his remarks, the WHO Coordinator, Dr. Dangou, said the team is in
the country for high level advocacy, with a view to turning into
concrete action the commitment made by President Muhammadu Buhari on
the Universal Health Coverage at the United Nations General Assembly.
“The objectives of this mission are to make high level advocacy on
tuberculosis and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), following the
commitment made by the President and Head of State of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria at the UN high level meetings held during the UN
General Assembly in New York…with regard to eliminating tuberculosis
and also addressing NCDs. So this mission will like to advocate for
going from commitment to action,” he said.
While soliciting the support of the Federal Ministry of Information
and Culture, Dr. Dangou stressed the need to also mobilize non-state
actors in order to galvanize all stakeholders towards achieving
Universal Health Coverage.
The Minister was joined at the event by the heads of the ministry’s
public information organs, including the National Orientation Agency
(NOA), Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), News Agency of Nigeria and
the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN).
