President Muhammadu Buhari has approved Nigeria’s intention to host an international summit on primary health care.

The summit which is scheduled to hold in Abuja before the end of October or early November in actualisation of the promise made earlier by the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, to prioritise strengthening the PHC system through a robust revitalisation agenda.

The summit aligns with the “Next Level Agenda” of Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire on addressing the inadequacy of primary health care services across the country and the need to revitalise one PHC in each ward in demonstration of prioritizing community based health care and scaling up the Community Health Influencers, Promoters and Services, CHIPS, programme launched by President Buhari in 2018 at Lafia, Nasarawa State.

The summit is coming at a time government resources alone have become inadequate to fund the health sector, especially with the global COVID-19 pandemic and the resurgence of cholera in many states across the country.

It would also rally the support of the Coalition Against COVID-19, CACOVID – the private sector-led organization assembled by the Central Bank of Nigeria to assist the federal government in combating COVID-19. The coalition of industry giants, banks and several private organisations and individuals raised huge funds to procure essential supplies, equipment while also accelerating tests and treatment for COVID-19.