The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has called on the Nigerian government to increase investment in health programmes to address the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) across the country.
Speaking at a one-day Roundtable Forum in Abuja, the Foundation’s Country Director, Uche Amaonwu, noted that in 2024, the organisation committed $8.6 billion to global health, with an expanded focus on cancer prevention and NCD care.
“We’ve seen a rising burden of non-communicable diseases, even in Nigeria. This is why the roundtable is charting a new path,” Amaonwu said. He emphasised the Foundation’s commitment to work with the federal government on health financing, pandemic preparedness, and integrating NCD services into primary healthcare.
Amaonwu added that the Foundation is mobilising life sciences partners to co-invest in strengthening health systems. “The principle is simple: durable transformation. We are moving away from single projects to coordinated support,” he explained. He further linked poor health to poverty, stressing that many families in Nigeria are forced to sell assets, cut back on education, and sacrifice opportunities just to pay medical bills.
Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, echoed these concerns, highlighting that with 70% of health spending paid directly out-of-pocket and only 9.5% of Nigerians covered by health insurance, over one million citizens are pushed into poverty each year due to medical expenses.
Pate called for stronger collaboration to tackle the crisis. “Collaboration, innovation, and private sector participation are essential if we are to cut deaths and give our people the health outcomes they deserve,” he said.
