Sen. Ned Nwoko (Delta North-PDP) has charged medical practitioners to approach the fight against cervical cancer with urgency and determination.
Nwoko gave the charge in Abuja on Thursday at the maiden edition of African Women in medicine, health and wellness conference 2024, organised by Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN).
The organisation of the conference was also in partnership with Focus Africa, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO).
The theme of the conference was “Strengthening networks for prompt diagnosis and care’’.
Nwoko, who was the Chairman of the conference, stated that it was crucial to eliminate the disease with the collaboration of stakeholders.
According to him, healthcare professionals are the backbone of the medical field, and that promoting holistic health requires everyone to look beyond traditional practices.
Nwoko, who was represented by his personal assistant, Dr Michael Nwoko, said there was a need to enhance quality of lives of the people and that this can only happen through the collaboration of all and sundry.
“We must embrace innovation through strengthening of network to actualised Universal Health Coverage (UHC),
“Collaboration is the key to realise the theme and sub themes of this conference, collaboration can create transformative change in the country’s healthcare system,’’ Nwoko said.
Sen. Ipalibo Banigo, Chairman, Senate Committee on Healthcare Services, noted that the theme of the conference was timely and critical to enhance healthcare delivery in the Africa Continent.
Banigo, who was the keynote speaker at the conference, explained that the theme shows that healthcare is a fundamental human right.
She stated that the power of networking was a vital tool in the health sector and that it means strengthening collaboration between the health workers and communities.
“Community engagement is key for all what we do as MWAN; if we are not close to our people we won’t know their needs, opportunities that are offered in healthcare are enormous.
“Collaborative efforts lead to improved patient outcomes and a better healthcare system. This collective wisdom affords us to provide evidence-based healthcare.
“We must optimise our resources effectively for optimal goal realisation; community engagement is very key, the role of networking is more critical as we look into the future.
“We cannot effectively eliminate cervical cancer without effective collaboration among healthcare practitioners, collaboration efforts help to prevent diseases and create awareness of lifestyle,’’ she stressed.
She called on healthcare workers to be committed to collaboration, saying that as the Chairman of Senate Committee on Healthcare Services, she would ensure the transformation of the health sector.
Prof. Rosemary Ogu, the National President of MWAN stated that her expectation from the conference was that everybody should key into the theme of the conference – networking and collaboration to improve diagnosis and care.
She said that if healthcare professionals do their work alone, there may not be much result, but if there is collaboration in the system, there would be a higher result among practitioners.
According to her, the conference particularly bothers on women’s health and wellness and that sharing information makes one to learn more especially on the elimination of cervical cancer.
Dr Dolapo Fasawe, Mandate Secretary, Health and Environment Services Secretariat (HESS), Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) stated that the administration not only carried out infrastructural determinants of the health sector, but also its social determinants.
She said that the FCTA had started going to the grassroots’ to preach to the people that prevention is better than cure when it comes to health issues.
According to her, due to the extensive advocacy and health information activities, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has not officially recorded any case of cholera in the city.
She said that this was part of the initiative Mr Nyesom Wike, the Minister of FCT is carrying out, saying that he is not only a project man, but also wants the system to grow.
Fasawe said that the FCT Primary Health Care Board and the FCT Health Insurance Scheme are also doing their best to ensure sanity in the health system of the FCT.
