Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has criticized the fact that people in Nigeria are still dying from malaria. He said this is disappointing because the country has spent a lot of money on healthcare and made progress in science and medicine.
He said Nigeria should be using advanced tools like Artificial Intelligence (AI) to fight malaria and other infectious diseases.
Obasanjo spoke during the launch of the CARE 365 Health Hub in Abuja on Tuesday, September 2. He said it is wrong that many Nigerians still walk long distances just to get basic healthcare, even many years after the country became independent.
He said: “It’s not right for a child to die from malaria just because the mother couldn’t afford to reach a nearby hospital. It’s also sad that people in far-off villages go blind because there’s no eye clinic nearby. These problems show not just a lack of buildings, but also a lack of care and leadership.”
He praised the CARE 365 Health Hub, calling it a smart solution that will help more people, especially in villages, get quality and affordable healthcare.
He added, “Helping the poor is not doing them a favour—it’s our duty as leaders. CARE 365 shows that technology should help people and make health services available to everyone, not just a few.”
The founder and CEO of CARE 365, Ngozi Joseph Odumuko, explained that the goal is to create a healthcare system that includes mobile clinics, small health kiosks, telemedicine apps, and support from international doctors to provide better care across Nigeria.
She said: “This innovation is about bringing healthcare closer to everyone—whether they live in cities, villages, or even in camps for displaced people. We want to use modern technology, like what’s used in countries like the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., to make healthcare cheaper and easier to reach.”
She added that the aim is to make healthcare affordable, accessible, and high quality. She emphasized that every Nigerian deserves proper healthcare, and their organization is ready to support the government in achieving that.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said the CARE 365 initiative is coming at the right time and supports the government’s plan to improve the health system in Nigeria.
He explained that this project will help women, children, displaced people, and others in poor areas get better healthcare. It also supports the government’s health goals: better leadership, stronger basic care, growing the healthcare industry, and improving health safety.
