Join us as we press toward UHC for all

Today is 7th April 2023 – World Health Day and we join the world in celebrating public health successes that have improved quality of life over the last seven decades. It is also an opportunity to identify actions to tackle the health challenges of today and prevent the pandemics of tomorrow.

Along the way, SFH has learnt in its 40 years of experience that health is a smart investment and universal health coverage (UHC) is one of the most powerful social equalizers among all policy options. Three years ago, we piloted the Access-to-Finance Programme with the Delta State Government and other partners to revitalize Primary Healthcare (PHC) in the state. The growing commitment to UHC through primary health care as exemplified in the Delta Programme can act as a counterweight to many of the challenges we face in the health system in Nigeria and LMICs.

Society for Family Health also leads in line with need. Our work has direct relevance in local context, as currently, we are shaping policies in self-care, task-shifting and task sharing, and the humanitarian to development nexus agenda in conflict and post-conflict settings in West Africa. Our commitment to these is unwavering. We have also continued to identify “best buys” for PHC and other disease areas. SFH has repeatedly stressed the urgent need to shift certain basic health services to the most accessible providers by tackling the access gap and making the local sustainable systems work – a top priority for both governments and civil society. The country needs well-functioning health systems and accountability frameworks for results-driven initiatives that depend on reliable evidenced-based information.
We have over the years recommitted to ending injustice and inequities by introducing equitable models of health financing along with social protection measures such as economic empowerment, especially for girls and women, community-insurance packages, and cash transfers for vulnerable households. We must rise as a collective to bring effective health services to every person in every community in every region. We will be that mechanism that will lead the way.

SFH has unquestionably shaped the health agenda and gathered the technical expertise and guidance that have paved the way for other initiatives. Our forty years of founding and engagement are blessed with a legacy of lessons, best practices, and innovative instruments for securing funds, cutting-edge interventions, and developing new frameworks to address health and social challenges.
Thanks to innovative financing mechanisms and support from our donors, partners and governments, we are presently taking on new initiatives to provide more equitable services to the people for whom we exist. This progress will continue as we press on toward UHC for all. Do join us!

Happy World Health Day!

Omokhudu Idogho
Managing Director