‘Private sector financing critical to transforming health market’

They also indicted that the deployment of appropriate health applications will accelerate Nigeria’s progress towards attaining health-related MDGs.Some stakeholders spoke at the launch of Nigeria Health Innovation Marketplace (NHIM), an initiative of Private Health Alliance of Nigeria (PHN) aimed at leveraging private sector capabilities to improve health outcomes held at the weekend in Lagos. According […]

They also indicted that the deployment of appropriate health applications will accelerate Nigeria’s progress towards attaining health-related MDGs.
Some stakeholders spoke at the launch of Nigeria Health Innovation Marketplace (NHIM), an initiative of Private Health Alliance of Nigeria (PHN) aimed at leveraging private sector capabilities to improve health outcomes held at the weekend in Lagos.
According to Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq, executive director/chief executive officer, PHN, the low application of innovation and technology in healthcare delivery is believed to be the biggest missed opportunity in transforming the nation’s healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
The CEO states that in order to leapfrog existing constraints and spur health innovations through a sustainable convergence platform, the Private Sector Health Alliance created the NHIM to identify promising innovations, provide market linkages and incubation support to enable health innovation.
According to Umar-Sadiq “the additional power capacity from more proximal mobile phone masts can be used to power the refrigeration of viable vaccines at selected mast shelters. The potential impact is to save thousands of lives by strengthening the efficiency of vaccine storage and delivery that will improve availability and effectiveness of vaccine stock and reduce wastage and stock-out of vaccines at the last mile.”
For his part, Aliko Dangote, Founding Board, PHN, hints that addressing healthcare challenges in Nigeria in a bid to attain health-related MDGs requires commitment and synergy among private sector players in the country.
“A healthier society is key in delivering MDG target. We cannot sit in our air-conditioned cars and watch at least one million lives lost from preventable diseases. We all should talk less and drive initiatives aimed at reducing maternal and child morbidity and mortality. Government has to be ready and willing to ensure healthcare delivery is attained. The NHIM steering committee set up will play a number of roles in supporting the success of the NHIM; oversight, visibility, accountability and partnerships. Driving activities of health innovation marketplace is not regotiable. We need to walk the talk and talk less,” Dangote explains.
Members of the NHIM steering committee include NPHCDA, GSK, Hygeia Group, Helois investment Partners, CHMI, IPIHD, Solina Health, Anadach, centre for Affordable Heacthcare Technology, University of Oxford, Saving One Million Lives initiatives, Wennovation.