Nigeria’s Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, has reaffirmed the country’s support for the African Union’s (AU) ambitious drive to institutionalize and scale up Community Health Workers (CHWs) as the backbone of primary healthcare delivery across Africa.
Speaking at the African CDC 2nd Taskforce Meeting of the Community Health Continental Coordination Mechanism (CCM) Principals on Tuesday at UNICEF Headquarters in New York, on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Dr. Salako conveyed a message of solidarity from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, AU Champion for Human Resources for Health and Community Health Delivery Partnership.
He underscored that CHWs are vital to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC), bolstering health security, and building resilient systems across the continent.
Recalling the 2017 AU Assembly resolution that called on member states to recruit, train, and integrate CHWs, Salako noted that the continental initiative to deploy 2 million CHWs was gaining momentum.
“In August this year, Nigeria hosted the validation of the 2024 community health landscape survey titled Shaping the CHW Strategy, Scorecard and Strategic Action, which was endorsed by member countries for CHW institutionalization, governance, financing, and policy guidance. The speed with which this document has moved to high-level dialogue shows our collective seriousness and commitment,” the minister stated.
He stressed that investing in CHWs means investing in prevention, early detection, maternal and child health, and more resilient systems capable of withstanding public health threats. “We must expand training facilities, professionalize their work, create career progression pathways, and fully integrate them into our health systems,” he added.
Dr. Salako commended the African Union Commission, Africa CDC, UNICEF, and development partners for their leadership and support, urging member states to translate commitments into measurable outcomes.
“The future of community health in Africa depends on our shared resolve, collaboration, and action,” he emphasized.
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