The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has taken steps to strengthen the implementation of self-care interventions in Nigeria.
This was made known during a key stakeholder’s hybrid meeting of the National Self-Care Advocacy Network (N-SAN) to advance coordinated advocacy, partnerships, and grassroots action.
Speaking at the meeting, the Director, Health Promotion Division of the Ministry, Mr. John Uruakoa underscored the growing importance of self-care in safeguarding the health and wellbeing of Nigerians, particularly women and other vulnerable populations.
He described self-care as a critical pillar of a resilient health system and a key requirement of Nigeria’s National Self-Care Guidelines.
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Mr. Uruakoa noted that the National Self-Care Advocacy Network provides a structured platform for in-country stakeholders to implement recommendations under the National Demand Generation Strategy for Self-Care.
“The network aims to harmonise advocacy messages, promote dialogue, share lessons learned and foster collaboration among government, development partners, civil society and the media,” he said.
He stressed that self-care must not be limited to national conversations but should be decentralised and driven at sub-national and community levels.
“Self-care is about the community and the grassroots,” he said, adding that strong local structures are necessary to ensure sustainability and ownership of self-care initiatives across the country.
The Health Promotion Director also highlighted the critical role of the media in advancing the self-care agenda, describing journalists as the backbone of the advocacy network.
He expressed appreciation to development partners, particularly the White Ribbon Alliance, as well as officers of the Department of Family Health, for their support in ensuring the successful convening of the meeting.
The Executive Director of White Ribbon Alliance, Mr. Tonte Ibraye said the meeting was aimed at generating innovative ideas for strategic advocacy that would ensure self-care is prioritised at all levels of governance.
He emphasised the importance of evidence-based advocacy and stronger collaboration between civil society and government at both national and sub-national levels.
Mr. Ibraye also noted that expanding access to self-care interventions could reduce the frequency of visits to health facilities, lower costs for both government and citizens, and improve access to services, particularly in hard-to-reach and humanitarian settings affected by insecurity.