By Edwin Nwachukwu

Nigeria’s Minister of Health, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, led a senior delegation to Dubai to discuss a new partnership with Aster DM Healthcare that will strengthen healthcare training, capacity building, and knowledge sharing.

Dr. Salako led officials from the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigerian Consulate on an official visit to Aster DM Healthcare’s facilities in the United Arab Emirates.

The delegation toured hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, and medical centres to study Aster’s healthcare model and identify areas for collaboration.

The team visited Medcare Royal Speciality Hospital, Aster Hospital in Al Qusais, Medcare Medical Centre in Mirdif, Wellth holistic medicine clinic, Aster Pharmacy stores, and the company’s robotic pharmacy warehouse. Senior doctors, hospital managers, and technology experts showcased Aster’s digital health systems and quality care programmes.

The delegation praised Aster’s specialised healthcare services. They reviewed advanced cardiac care, the WalkAgain robotic rehabilitation programme, and healthcare services for women and children. They also inspected facilities for cardiology, neurology, oncology, and orthopaedics.

Dr. Salako said the visit highlighted Aster’s commitment to quality healthcare, patient safety, and innovation. He added that Nigeria looks forward to working closely with Aster DM Healthcare to share best practices and improve healthcare capacity across the country.
Partnership Targets Skills and Patient Care.

Aster DM Healthcare Managing Director, Alisha Moopen, said the company remains committed to providing quality and compassionate healthcare. She noted that training, collaboration, and knowledge sharing would improve healthcare outcomes for Nigerian communities.

Both sides discussed training for nurses and paramedics, advanced clinical skills for doctors, surgical outreach programmes, and referrals for complex cases to Aster’s specialist hospitals in the UAE.

They also reviewed Aster Volunteers’ mobile medical clinics and maternal health programmes for underserved communities.

Both parties agreed to establish a joint working framework that will turn the discussions into practical programmes.

The partnership aims to support sustainable healthcare development and strengthen global cooperation for better patient care.
External Links
Nigeria Federal Ministry of Health
Aster DM Healthcare
World Health Organization

By Kemi Akintokun

No fewer than 200 traders benefited from a free medical outreach organised by the Nursing Department of Gbagada General Hospital at Bariga Market in Lagos on Wednesday.

Mrs Temitayo Olotu, the hospital’s Apex Nurse, said the outreach was organised to commemorate Nursing Week and enable residents to experience the impact of nursing services beyond hospital walls.

Olotu said the programme was targeted at market women and men to enlighten them on the importance of regular check-ups and the need to prioritise their health.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the beneficiaries underwent free blood pressure screening, blood sugar tests, malaria tests, chest X-rays, and received free drugs, among other services.

“We decided to come to Bariga Market to render free services and allow people to feel our impact as nurses.

“These people do not come to the hospital regularly, and that is why we are here—to educate them, check their blood pressure and sugar levels, conduct chest X-rays, and provide free drugs,” she said.

Olotu, who is also the Director of Nursing Services at the hospital, said the profession remained central to healthcare delivery, with nurses serving as caregivers, advocates, educators, and managers in the sector.

“Virtually everyone will encounter nurses at some point in life, and this reflects the indispensable role we play in promoting health and saving lives.

“We serve as advocates, managers, and teachers. We are the people who care. Nurses are the heartbeat of the nation,” she said.

She commended the efforts of the Lagos State Government in improving healthcare delivery, adding that more investment was needed in modern equipment and conducive working environments.

Also speaking, Mrs Mary Babatunde, Acting Chairperson of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Gbagada General Hospital chapter, said the programme was initiated to promote public health awareness.

Babatunde said another aim was to ensure that members of the community benefited directly from activities marking the annual celebration of the nursing profession.

According to her, many traders and residents rarely find time to visit healthcare facilities because of their busy schedules and work commitments.

Babatunde noted that some individuals assumed they were healthy simply because they did not feel sick, stressing that regular medical check-ups remained essential for the early detection of diseases.

“We have dedicated this week to celebrating nurses and also want people in the community to benefit from the programme through health education and free medical services,” she said.

The nurse, who commended the Lagos State Government’s efforts towards the welfare of nurses, called for more training to enhance the capacity of nurses in the state.

Some of the beneficiaries commended the nurses for their efforts in healthcare delivery and urged the government to support their work through better remuneration

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, has urged healthcare practitioners to prioritise Public-Private Partnership (PPP) as a viable approach to grow Africa’s healthcare system.

Salako made the appeal during the Healthcare Leadership Conference session at the World Health Expo organised by the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN) on Tuesday in Lagos.

The conference has the theme: “Enabling Market Access and Investment Readiness to Drive Health System Transformation.”

The three-day healthcare exhibition had exhibitors and companies across the African continent in attendance.

According to him, Public-Private Partnership (PPP) has remained a vital instrument to drive healthcare financing.

Highlighting some of the Federal Government’s efforts towards healthcare development, Salako called for stronger synergy among health players to boost healthcare delivery financing and standard.

He assured of government’s commitment to continued partnership, describing the event as one of the Africa’s most impactful programme.

“Sustainable and standard healthcare system requires a stronger public-private partnership.

“Africa has great expertise and resources that can be better harnessed through collaboration.

Regarding the level of Nigeria’s preparedness to prevent transmission of Ebola in the country, Salako said there was ongoing high level surveillance at all entry points (borders) of the country.

Speaking, the Commissioner for Health, Lagos State, Prof. Akin Abayomi, said that state government had embarked on the process of healthcare financial reform aimed at granting every Lagos resident access to quality healthcare.

Abayomi explained that the state’s health insurance scheme would not only reduce out-of-pocket healthcare financing and promote access to care, but would also enhance investment in the sector and improve quality of life.

According to him, there are varieties of health insurance packages across both public and private healthcare facilities, saying that is a way of promoting synergy between the two sectors.

“The state government is now in the process of healthcare financial reform, where we are promoting the uptake of insurance by all our citizens, so that people have a safety guard in their pocket as sickness cannot be predicted.

“We are working with the regulators to make sure that these insurance packages are fair and standardised for the environment.

“And that will drive the whole issue around supply and demand of healthcare,” Abayomi said.

The Exhibition Manager, Daniel Green, said the expo brought together healthcare manufacturers, policymakers and international companies, to deliberate and shape healthcare market across the African continent.

According to him, there is huge economic hub in Africa capable of expanding the healthcare market.

“There are a lot of international audience in the exhibition with over 300 exhibitors including China, India, Pakistan, Morocco, USA, United Kingdom among others.

“I believe in the next three days, the exhibitors are going to see a lot of success from a very enthusiastic market coming here,” Green said.

The Keynote Speaker at the event, Prof. Aliko Ahmed, Special Regional Representative, West Africa RCC, underscored the need to improve the quality/standard of African products.

He urged African manufacturers to prioritise standard, describing quality as key access to market.

Earlier, the HFN President, Ms Njide Ndili, reiterated the need to strengthen healthcare system through collaboration among stakeholders in the sector.

According to her, the exhibition aims to promote healthcare market consumables, equipment and services across Africa.

Orodata Science, in partnership with the Africa Data Hub (ADH), is thrilled to announce the launch of the PHC Innovation Hackathon, an initiative designed to harness the power of data in transforming Primary Healthcare (PHC) service delivery across Nigeria.

The hackathon challenges data scientists, developers, public health experts, and innovators to create practical, data-driven solutions that address key challenges in Nigeria’s healthcare system — such as inefficient resource allocation, limited access to care, and poor infrastructure visibility.

Access to PHC Data

Participants will gain access to a robust PHC data repository containing detailed information on:

• Infrastructure
• Service Delivery
• Welfare
• Inclusivity• Telecommunication Maps

Mentors from Orodata Science and Africa Data Hub will guide teams throughout the development process.

Hackathon Structure

Submission of Ideas: Participants submit innovative ideas ahead of the Demo day leveraging PHC data – Not Later than 6th November, 2025

Shortlisting: The top 5 ideas will be shortlisted and invited to pitch at the Hybrid Hackathon Demo Day.•

Demo Day: 📅

Date: 8th November 2025 📍 Venue: The COLOSSUS, Plot 4/5, Sheraton Opebi Link Road (Behind Sheraton Hotel), Ikeja, Lagos.

Prize Money

A total prize pool of ₦1,000,000 will be awarded to the top three winning teams:

🥇 First Place: ₦1,000,000

🥈 Second Place: ₦600,000

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How to Apply

Interested participants can:

1. Complete the Hackathon Registration Form – Click Here and submit before the stated deadline of 6 November 2025

.2. Review the Rules and Regulations provided on the registration page.

3. Access some Datasets here – https://checkmyphc.org |  http://bit.ly/4ogXBQs

This hackathon provides an opportunity to build innovative, data-powered tools that can improve access to quality primary healthcare for millions of Nigerians.

For more information –

Contact uche@orodata.org

Signed: ManagementOrodata Science

Maternal Adolescent and Reproductive Child Healthcare (MARCH Initiative), an NGO, has called on the government to implement policies that support health and nutritional needs of children with anomalies in the country.

Mrs Olubunmi Aiyedun, the Founder of MARCH Initiative, made this appeal on Saturday in Abuja in commemoration of the 2023 World Defect Day.

She spoke at the final validation symposium training manual on orofacial cleft community care and support.

World Defect Day is commemorated annually on March 3, to raise awareness of the impact of birth defects worldwide, reduce stigma and increase opportunities for prevention and care.

Aiyedun said the day was significant as more than seven million newborn babies have been recorded every year in Nigeria a proportion of those with birth defects.

“That is why we need data, the government, partners and grassroots organisations, need to sit and produce quality data and policies that can drive interventions in Nigeria.

“The government owns the people so they have the primary responsibility to make policies because when we have policies that recognise children with birth defects, there can be interventions.

“We need budgets and policies that ensure the protection, promotion and support of every newborn Nigerian child with a birth defect and ensure training institutions like the universities integrate curriculum that addresses birth defect.

“Essential care like nutrition, immunisation is very important, they have the right to such quality of care because if they are not healthy, they cannot do surgery for those who require it,” she said.

Ayiedun said the world had recognised the contribution of congenital anomalies, the indices, and health figures, hence the reason March 3rd was set aside globally to create awareness.

“Recognising that we have newborns who may not be like other children, but have the right to be cared for and loved, to be celebrated and to be helped.”

Aiyedun listed some of the common birth defects as cleft lip and cleft palate where a child’s mouth did not form completely, and the roof of the mouth is open instead of sealed.

“Spina bifida is also a defect where there is an opening or slit that allows part of the spinal cord to protrude out causing paralysis of the lower limbs.

“There are cases where the intestine or internal organs of the abdomen are out or the skull did not form and the brain is exposed such is not compatible with life and needs support,’’ Aiyedun said.

On prevention, she advised women of childbearing age to maintain a healthy lifestyle, reduce their intake of alcohol and smoke cigarettes.

She, however, added that fortification, supplementation and intake of folic acid could reduce the incidence of defects by 70 per cent, as well as avoiding early marriage and late marriage, among others.

Dr Lilian Ekwem, Chief Paediatrician, Wuse District Hospital, Abuja, said the purpose of the workshop was to get people from different health professional backgrounds to address challenges associated with children born with defects.

Ekwem said that the babies and their families suffered, adding that their suffering affect the community and the nation at large, as it took away from its ultimate productivity.

“They suffer discrimination, neglect and abuse, so the objective of the workshop is to highlight these challenges and teach health workers how to care for such babies, especially at the grassroots level.

“They experience problems with feeding, malnutrition and loss of weight which can affect their immunity, some of them die while some are abandoned due to difficulty in managing them.

“Also the psychological impact on the parents and the children especially when other children don’t want to play with them, they discriminate and stigmatise them hence the need for enlightenment at the communities,” Ekwem said.

Ms Victoria Azodoh, Assistant Chief Scientific Officer, NPHCDA, said the day was a unique one, set aside to celebrate a special group of children who were often neglected in society.

“The NPHCDA especially at the community health services department engages and collaborates with well-meaning individuals, we carry out missions to do specialised operations for children with defects.

“We also support organisations and provide technical support in many areas,’’ Azodoh said.

Ms Pauline Adah, a participant and representative of USAID on Advancing Nutrition, said the day was to emphasis on the need for inclusion, as the life, health and nutrition of every Nigerian child were very important.

“The USAID project on advancing nutrition has the mandate to improve the status of nutrition for the Nigeria child and we are happy to collaborate with MARCH Initiative.

“What we do is to ensure and support the Federal Ministry of Health to review the Maternal Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) strategy, policy, and training manuals alongside other stakeholders.

“We help promote the inclusion of children with defects in the community, practice maternal and young infant feeding.”

She urged parents of children with defects to see their children as gifts from God, seek medical help and embrace them with love and support.

Adah further called on communities to expunge entirely stigma, accept the children and not exclude them from interventions when necessary.

Maj. Mohammed Hamji, Commanding Officer, Guards Brigade Medical Centre, a representative of the Nigeria Army, said the day was significant in the world of medicine.

Hamji said the day was crucial for individuals with birth defects, their families, communities and the nation at large, saying birth defect is a discriminatory congenital birth condition.

He urged families at rural communities, especially in the Northern part of the country, to seek medical attention for their children with defects, while appreciating March Initiative for their advocacy and support of the children.

NAN reports that the workshop was organised by MARCH Initiative, in collaboration with the NPHCDA and USAID on Advancing Nutrition, among other partners.