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Stakeholders in Nigeria\u2019s health sector have raised alarm over inadequate funding, weak institutional capacity and poor coordination undermining the country\u2019s response to non-communicable diseases.\n<\/p>\n
They warned that the situation could worsen without urgent intervention.\n<\/p>\n
The concerns were raised on Thursday in Nasarawa State, during a two-day capacity strengthening workshop for government ministries, departments and agencies on public financing for NCD prevention and control, and the implementation of a multisectoral action plan.\n<\/p>\n
The workshop was organised by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, in partnership with the Legislative Initiative for Sustainable Development and the Global Health Advocacy Incubator.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the event, Vice President of LISDEL, Muhammed Usman, said the engagement was designed to galvanise support from key stakeholders whose roles are critical to addressing Nigeria\u2019s growing NCD burden.\n<\/p>\n \u201cThis meeting\u2026 is aimed at galvanising support from all relevant stakeholders within the health sector.\n<\/p>\n \u201cWe have representatives from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance and Budget, the National Assembly, and civil society organisations.<\/p>\n \u201cThese groups are critical when it comes to addressing health issues in Nigeria,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n Usman stressed that NCDs had become a major public health concern, yet they continued to receive insufficient attention and funding.\n<\/p>\n \u201cThe goal is to mobilise these stakeholders to better understand that non-communicable diseases are a major public health concern in Nigeria today.\n<\/p>\n \u201cGlobally, significant priority is given to tackling NCDs, and we want to see the same level of attention in Nigeria.\n<\/p>\n \u201cIf you look at the current budget, the allocation to NCDs is very low and grossly inadequate. Funding remains a major challenge,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n He added that the widespread impact of the diseases underscored the urgency for action.\n<\/p>\n \u201cAs I mentioned earlier, there is hardly any family that is not affected by NCDs, particularly hypertension. This underscores the urgency of addressing the issue,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Usman further urged policymakers and legislators to take concrete steps.\n<\/p>\n \u201cThose involved in budgeting should ensure adequate allocation to agencies like the NCDC.\n<\/p>\n \u201cMembers of the National Assembly should recognise the importance of this issue and advocate for increased funding. There must also be strong oversight,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n Also speaking, Country Director of GHAI, Prof Emmanuel Alhassan, said the workshop was convened to identify critical gaps in Nigeria\u2019s response and build the capacity of MDAs to address them.\n<\/p>\n \u201cThis gathering is aimed at identifying the gaps in Nigeria\u2019s response to non-communicable diseases.\n<\/p>\n \u201cAt present, NCDs pose a significant and growing challenge in the country,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n Highlighting the scale of the problem, Alhassan noted that many Nigerians were already living with NCDs, often without knowing.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you speak to 10 people, you can imagine how many may be living with hypertension. Many men and women are also affected by conditions such as prostate cancer, cervical cancer, breast cancer, and others,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n He revealed that a recent assessment exposed serious deficiencies, particularly in financing.\n<\/p>\n \u201cPrior to this workshop, an assessment was conducted\u2026 the results clearly showed significant gaps. For instance, last year, there was no funding release at all for NCDs, which is deeply concerning,\u201d he added.\n<\/p>\n Alhassan also pointed to weak capacity among non-health MDAs.\n<\/p>\n \u201cThere are gaps in the capacity of non-health MDAs to effectively design and present programmes in ways that can attract funding for NCD-related interventions. Strengthening this capacity is essential,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n He added that the expiration of the previous NCD multisectoral action plan made the development of a new framework urgent. <\/p>\n \u201cAnother key objective of this gathering is to catalyse the development of a new action plan in collaboration with all relevant stakeholders,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Alhassan noted that participants recommended adopting political economy analysis to strengthen advocacy.\n<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not just for budget appropriations, but also for the actual release and efficient utilisation of funds for NCD programmes,\u201d he added.\n<\/p>\n Providing further insight, the National Coordinator for NCDs at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Alayo Sopekan, described NCDs as chronic conditions largely driven by lifestyle factors.\n<\/p>\n \u201cAs you are aware, non-communicable diseases are illnesses that are not transmitted from one person to another. They are often referred to as lifestyle diseases.\n<\/p>\n \u201cOnce a person develops them, they typically have no cure, but they can be managed,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n He attributed the rising prevalence to changing lifestyles and unhealthy habits.\n<\/p>\n \u201cMany people no longer maintain healthy habits\u2014we do not eat as naturally as we used to\u2026 These factors are contributing significantly to the growing burden of NCDs,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Sopekan listed common NCDs to include hypertension, diabetes, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cancers, noting that their incidence continued to rise.\n<\/p>\n \u201cThe first national survey\u2026 in 1990 showed relatively low prevalence rates.\n<\/p>\n \u201cToday, about 15 per cent of our population is living with hypertension\u2014at least among those diagnosed,\u201d he\u00a0 said.\n<\/p>\n He added that many Nigerians remained unaware of their health status.\n<\/p>\n \u201cAbout 25 per cent of people have never had their blood sugar checked. In many cases, diagnosis is incidental,\u201d she said.\n<\/p>\n The NCD coordinator also highlighted the burden of sickle cell disease.\n<\/p>\n \u201cAbout two per cent of our population\u2026 are living with sickle cell disease, while approximately 25 per cent carry the gene as healthy carriers,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He emphasised the financial strain on patients managing chronic conditions.\n<\/p>\n \u201cTheir management is often expensive, forcing many patients to make difficult choices between basic needs like food and purchasing medication.\n<\/p>\n \u201cThe burden of out-of-pocket expenses is significant,\u201d she said.\n<\/p>\n Sopekan stressed that tackling NCDs required a whole-of-government approach.\n<\/p>\n \u201cNCDs are not just a health sector issue\u2014they are linked to lifestyle and require a multisectoral approach. Other ministries and agencies have important roles to play,\u201d he\u00a0 said.\n<\/p>\n He added that the workshop was already yielding useful outcomes.\n<\/p>\n \u201cSo far, the discussions have yielded valuable insights\u2026 participants will return to their respective institutions better equipped to improve current approaches and deliver more effective interventions,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Non-communicable diseases are responsible for an increasing share of deaths globally, accounting for over 70 per cent of all deaths, according to the World Health Organisation.\n<\/p>\n In Nigeria, the burden has grown steadily due to urbanisation, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, tobacco use and harmful alcohol consumption, leading to around 29 per cent of deaths.\n<\/p>\n Unlike infectious diseases, NCDs are long-term conditions that often require lifelong treatment and management.\n<\/p>\n This places a heavy financial burden on households, particularly in Nigeria, where out-of-pocket health expenditure remains high.\n<\/p>\n Experts warn that without sustained investment, stronger policies and coordinated action across sectors, Nigeria may face a worsening public health crisis driven by NCDs.\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n