By Ayodele Oni
For the first time since its creation, Ekiti State will host the meeting of the National Council on Health, (NCH).
The meeting, which is the 64th of its type, will hold between 13th and 17th November, 2023.
The State is expected to play host to the topmost management officers of health institutions from all states in Nigeria plus the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
These include the Commissioners, Permanent secretaries, directors, NGOs, Local and International Partners in the health sectors of all the 36 states plus FCT.
NCH is the highest National Body with the sole responsibility for the management of the health sector in Nigeria.
It is responsible for making health policies, reviewing the National strategic health development plans, considering and approving memos for the development and improvement of healthcare services in the Country.
Membership also include minister of state for health, top management staff of federal ministries of health and their Parastatals and Agencies. The meeting, which is chaired by the Minister of health holds once in a year.
Participants are expected to submit memos to the National body which will be considered at the yearly meeting such as the one holding in Ekiti State.
Such memos are deliberated upon and if approved, at the meeting it becomes a policy that will be introduced for implementation by the Federal and States.
No health policy will be implemented without approval by this highest body.
For instance the memo on Traditional Complementary and Alternative (TCAM) Medicine in Nigeria was considered and approved at the 2019 NCH meeting at Asaba, Delta State.
The approval was the recognition of TCAM as another tier of healthcare services in Nigeria.
In 2020 the Federal Ministry of Health issued letters to all the states and FCT directing the implementation of the policy.
At the 64th meeting holding in Ekiti state, several memos already submitted will be considered for approval. This is the chain of policy authority in health sector from top to bottom.
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