On a yearly basis, the Nigeria Health Watch’s ‘Future of Health Conference’ is designed to serve as a veritable platform to convene delegates, speakers and partners working to find solutions to the challenges in the health sector, advocating for policy action to ensure that all Nigerians have access to quality and affordable healthcare.
This year’s edition marks the 10th anniversary and is scheduled to take place on October 24, 2024, from 10am to 5pm, at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; both physical and virtual.
The conference theme is “From Evidence to Action: Building Resilience at the Climate-Health Nexus”, focusing on the intersection of climate change and health.
The occasion would make it possible to amplify evidence on health impacts of climate change in Nigeria and the African continent, highlighting localised, context-specific research evidence to inform policy actions; drive public discourse and increase public and policymaker understanding of the need to act and build climate-resilient health systems; and promote knowledge exchange by facilitating the sharing of cutting-edge research, best practices, and innovative solutions among scientists, researchers, and health practitioners at the frontlines of climate and health intersection.
Others are to foster cross-sectoral collaboration and interdisciplinary research by showcasing scalable solutions deployed across the continent, providing opportunities for dialogue and partnerships; curate insights and proffer clear recommendations for policy action and change.
Outcomes of the health conference include increased engagement by raising awareness on the impact of climate change on health in Africa; policy recommendations by suggesting key policy actions like integrating health into the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC); public and stakeholder awareness through the enhancement of understanding of climate-health nexus, collaboration and partnership building by strengthen ties between academia, government, non-governmental organisations, and the private sector; and youth engagement by supporting a community of youth champions to amplify conference insights and post-event activities.
Distinguished speakers lined up for the one-day event include Dr. Winifred Ukponu, Associate Director, Global Health Security at the Georgetown University Centre for Global Health Practice and Impact (West and Central Africa); Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, who served as the Mandate Secretary (Commissioner) of Health Services and Environment.
Dr. Julius Gilayeneh (Sr.), Liberian medical doctor and public health practitioner; Ms. Elsie Ilori; public health expert with over 35 years’ leadership and management experience as well as Dr. Tamer Rabie, Global Programme Lead for Climate and Health at the World Bank.
The speakers have been described as representing ‘the breadth of the health and other allied sectors, bringing forward ideas and sharing knowledge to inspire change in the health sector’.
Previous conferences have focused on diverse issues such as Universal Health Coverage (2015), Health Meets Tech (2016), Business of Health (2017), The Diaspora as Nigeria’s Brain Gain (2018), Quality in Healthcare (2019), Innovations in Health (2020), and Gender Equality: Breaking Glass Ceilings (2021).
In anticipation of the 2023 presidential elections and its unique opportunity to push health up the political agenda, the 2022 conference highlighted the Political Economy of Health (2022) while in 2023, the 9th edition focused on the Private Sector as a Catalyst for a Resilient Health System, highlighting the importance of leveraging the private sector’s capacity to deliver quality care and promote quality improvements in the public sector. The 2024 conference edition registration link can be accessed here: https://lu.ma/aiosptf5
