Cross River State is set to host the 66th National Council on Health (NCH) meeting, a major annual gathering that shapes Nigeria’s health policies and strategic direction.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare announced the development on its official website on Sunday.
The five-day meeting will hold in Calabar from Monday to Nov. 21, with the theme: “My Health, My Right: Accelerating Universal Health Coverage through Equity, Resilience, and Innovation.”
The NCH, established under the National Health Act 2014, is Nigeria’s highest health policy-making body. It is chaired by the Minister of Health and comprises State Commissioners for Health, Permanent Secretaries, and key stakeholders from federal and state health sectors.
The council provides a platform for strategic dialogue, coordinated action, and review of national health priorities, policies, and innovations aimed at strengthening the country’s health system.
According to the ministry, this year’s meeting will deliberate on emerging issues, review ongoing programmes, and take decisions that guide implementation across all levels of government.
In line with its digital transformation agenda, the ministry said the NCH Web Portal had been developed to enhance coordination, streamline communication, and enable the submission and tracking of memoranda, reports and resolutions. It added that the initiative reflects the council’s commitment to transparency, efficiency and evidence-based policymaking toward achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030.
Participants are required to register online, fill in their details and await approval before receiving a confirmation email. The ministry advised attendees to ensure their email addresses are valid and active.
Speaking with reporters, Dr. Oyebanji Filani, Chair of the Forum of Commissioners for Health and Ekiti State Commissioner for Health, said Cross River was honored to host the event.
“This is an opportunity to showcase our commitment to healthcare development while contributing to shaping national health policies,” he said.
Filani described the NCH as Nigeria’s highest decision-making body on health matters, noting that council resolutions guide national priorities, review existing policies, adopt new strategies and explore innovations to expand healthcare access.
He added that delegates and stakeholders were expected to engage in robust discussions aimed at shaping the future of Nigeria’s health sector.
It was recalls that the 65th NCH meeting was held from Nov. 18 to 22, 2024, in Maiduguri, Borno State, with more than 1,100 participants from federal and state institutions, development partners, civil society organizations, the private sector and traditional institutions.
The theme of the 65th edition was: “Strengthening Resilient Health Systems: Addressing Challenges and Charting a New Course for Nigeria’s Healthcare Delivery.”
Deliberations focused on UHC, health financing, maternal and child health, disease outbreaks and strategies to improve service delivery nationwide.
The council reviewed 81 memoranda, approved 18 major health policies and inaugurated key national documents, including the National Policy on Health Workforce Migration, the Nigeria Health Workforce Profile and several RMNCAEH guidelines. It also adopted resolutions on digital health, food safety, climate adaptation, mental health integration, emergency medical services and strengthening human resources for health.
