By Nafisat Makinde
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate CON, will lead Nigeria’s official delegation to the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA78) scheduled to take place in Geneva, Switzerland, from 19 to 27 May 2025.
The World Health Assembly serves as a premier platform for shaping international health policy and advancing global health priorities. Convened annually by the World Health Organization (WHO), it brings together member states to deliberate on critical issues such as sustainable health financing, workforce development, and accelerating progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC) – all of which are central to Nigeria’s ongoing health sector reforms.
This year’s WHA theme, “One World for Health,” underscores the importance of global solidarity in addressing shared health challenges and building resilient health systems. Nigeria’s participation is expected to provide valuable insights to inform policy review, planning, and implementation, while reinforcing alignment with global best practices.
The delegation comprises six senior officials from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. In addition to the government delegation, representatives from across Nigeria’s health ecosystem including the private sector, development partners, and donor agencies will actively participate in technical sessions and side events.
The delegation will engage in high-level discussions and contribute to agenda items of particular significance to Nigeria and the African region. Key topics include Commitment to Sustainable Healthcare Financing, Strengthening Human Resources for Health, Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), including Diabetes, and several others.
Specifically, Nigeria will present position papers on Poliomyelitis Eradication, Universal Health Coverage (UHC), Mental Health and Social Connection, and the Global Strategy for Cervical Cancer Elimination. Other key topics include Advancing Oral Health, Enhancing Local Production of Medicines and Health Technologies, and Addressing Skin Diseases and Adverse Cosmetic Events.
As Nigeria advances implementation of the Health Sector Strategic Blueprint under the Renewed Hope Agenda, the outcomes of WHA78 are expected to strengthen evidence-based decision-making, deepen multilateral partnerships, and inform national strategies that enhance health security, equity, and service delivery.
