*Prof. Ali Pate, Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare, explains that prior to the latest United States Government policy on funding foreign programmes, the Nigerian leadership has been moving in the direction of self-sufficiency in the provision of healthcare for the citizens

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

Despite the US Agency for International Development’s (USAID) recent exit from funding healthcare programmes worldwide, Prof. Ali Pate, Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare, has said the country can cater to its citizens鈥� health

绿帽献妻 reports US President Donald Trump via an Executive Order recently directed the closure of the country’s USAID agency.

It is noted that Trump’s order for closure of USAID must have left several countries, especially in Africa in limbo, and thousands who benefit from the humanitarian agency鈥檚 work shocked.

Reacting to such a submission as far as Nigeria is concerned, Prof. Pate, however, asserted that the Federal Government is not bothered about the US Government’s move, affirming that the West African country is capable of funding healthcare for the citizens.

Speaking on a Channels TV programme Friday, February 14,聽 the Minister said: 鈥淪o for us, we are not complaining. We are full of appreciation to the US government for the contribution they have made.

鈥淭he American people have contributed to taking care of more than 1.3 million Nigerians on antiretroviral therapies, tuberculosis, malaria, and maternal and child health conditions.”

Pate: We’re coping with Trump’s new USAID policy

The Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare stated: “The change in US Government policy is the determination of the American people. We can鈥檛 complain.

“What we have determined is that we are primarily responsible for the health of our population.鈥�

Pate assured Nigerians that the government would cope with the new policy, and is working 鈥渢owards exiting the dependency on external assistance鈥� for healthcare in the country.

He also noted: 鈥淲e may be a poor country, but we are a capable country, and we are determined to own up to that responsibility.

“If others step in and support us, we appreciate it, but we are not begging for it, and we also will live within what we have.”

Pate averred: “But we have the responsibility on us as leaders to ensure that our population gets the care they need.

“The Federal Government is going to do its part.鈥�

According to him, before the recent US government policy, the Nigerian leadership has been moving in the direction of self-sufficiency in the provision of healthcare for the citizens.

鈥淎t the end of the day, our approach long before the change in US policy has been towards increasing national ownership. Increasing domestic resources.

鈥淚mproving our healthcare value chain and producing what we use. Strengthening our resilience through surveillance laboratory systems so that we deal with infectious diseases.

“We never really let鈥檚 say absolved ourselves of the responsibility for taking care of Nigerians who require government support,” Prof. Pate submitted.

Kindly Share This Story