Nigeria Health Watch to host 8th edition of Future of Health Conference on the Political Economy of Health

The aim of the flagship conference is to provide a visible platform for critical stakeholders in healthcare, finance, politics, and other allied sectors to discuss the factors that influence Nigeria’s health policies; how political, social, and economic factors shape individual and population health outcomes; health service development within the economic and political context; and how to create a national health service that meets the needs of all Nigerians.

As the 2023 general elections approach, an opportunity has been presented to take advantage of the potential policy window to push healthcare up the political agenda and ensure that it takes its rightful place of prominence alongside the economy, security, and other priority issues in the political discourse.

The politicization of health has seen the increased involvement of political leaders in health affairs and has revealed the need for greater political will and commitment to drive lasting changes in the nation’s health agenda. There is a need to prioritise health policies, as it is in the enlightened self-interest of political leaders to drive health policies that lead to improved access to quality and equitable healthcare for citizens. Ultimately, we need to push health up the political agenda if we are to make any meaningful progress toward achieving Universal Health Coverage, (UHC) and if we want to see an improvement in Nigeria’s health indices.

Vivianne Ihekweazu, Managing Director, Nigeria Health Watch, stated that “the recent pandemic exposed how fragile our health sector is and we need to create an avenue for discourse to ensure that our leaders and policymakers prioritise healthcare as a critical investment and catalyst for economic growth”.

Ihekweazu added that continuous advocacy is essential for the development and implementation of policies that effect positive change, growth, and development in Nigeria’s healthcare system.

The objectives of the 2022 Future of Health Conference are to:

Foster dialogue among critical stakeholders in policymaking, economics, and healthcare on the need for more innovative, scalable, and sustainable healthcare strategies
Amplify the role of local, state, and federal government in creating a more favourable environment for better healthcare access to achieve better health outcomes for individuals and communities
Advocate for the development and implementation of policies that effect positive change, growth, and development for Nigeria's healthcare system
Share a 7-point communique that can be disseminated to relevant stakeholders in public and private sectors, through print media, which would highlight key outputs from the conference

Speaking about the conference, Uche Nwagboso, Communications Manager, Nigeria Health Watch stated that next year’s general elections will be pivotal as the focus is on ensuring that the discourse on health goes beyond policymakers in the health sector, but also people outside the health sector as health affects everyone. “We have an amazing line-up of speakers who will be speaking on key issues such as the economy of health, politics, and health, and political leadership in health”.

Nwagboso also added that the “Expected lineup of speakers includes experts and thought leaders in from the public and private sector, finance organisations, policymakers, and influencers at state and national levels, development professionals from civil society organisations and state public service officers”.

The Future of Health Conference is Nigeria Health Watch’s flagship event and previous conferences have focused on Universal Health Coverage in 2015, Health Meets Tech in 2016, Business of Health in 2017, The Diaspora as Nigeria’s Brain Gain in 2018, Quality in Healthcare in 2019, Innovations in Health in 2020, and Gender Equality – Breaking Glass Ceilings in 2021.

The Future of Health conference, this year will be a hybrid event to enable a wider audience to participate in the discussions. Interested participants who would like to attend virtually can register here”.

For more information visit www.futureofhealthconference.com or email events@nigeriahealthwatch.com and follow all official handles of Nigeria Health Watch on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram

About Nigeria Health Watch

Nigeria Health Watch uses informed advocacy and communication to influence health policy and seek better health and access to healthcare in Nigeria. We seek to amplify some of the great work happening in the health sector, challenge the bad, and create a space for positive ideas and action. Through its various platforms, Nigeria Health Watch has become a trusted source that provides informed commentary and in-depth analysis of health issues in Nigeria, always in good conscience. Learn more at www.nigeriahealthwatch.com

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