By David Torough, Abuja

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate, said over 16,000 Nigerian doctors have left the country in the last five to seven years to seek greener pastures in other countries.

Pate also said the doctor-to-population ratio is now 3.

9 per 10,000 in the country, while the estimated cost of training one doctor exceeds $21,000.

This was as he lamented that nurses and midwives who left have also thinned the numbers of healthcare workers in the country.

The minister disclosed this at the seventh annual capacity building workshop of the Association of Medical Councils of Africa in Abuja yesterday with the theme: “Integrated healthcare regulation and leadership in building resilient health systems.

”

According to him, an increasing number of Nigeria’s talented healthcare professionals aspire to work in other countries—driven by factors such as economic opportunity, better working conditions, more advanced training, and superior research environments abroad.

He said the migration of health professionals from developing countries is not new, but it has accelerated in recent years.

“In Nigeria alone, over 16,000 doctors are estimated to have left the country in the last five to seven years, with thousands more leaving in just the past few years. Nurses and midwives have also thinned in numbers. The doctor-to-population ratio now stands at around 3.9 per 10,000—well below the suggested global minimum.

“But this trend is not just about people leaving. It represents a fiscal loss. The estimated cost of training one doctor exceeds $21,000—a figure that reflects the magnitude of public financing walking out of our countries. It deeply affects our health systems—leaving many of our rural communities critically underserved.”

He, however, emphasised that the phenomenon offers an opportunity to rethink and reshape the policies, to manage the valuable health workforce in ways that benefit our countries first and foremost.

“In Nigeria, guided by the vision of President Bola Tinubu, who African Heads of State appointed as the AU’s Continental Champion for Human Resources for Health and Community Health Delivery, we are pursuing a new direction. His vision is for Nigeria to become a prosperous, people-oriented country that contributes to a peaceful and thriving continent. Not a standalone Nigeria, but a Nigeria that is interlinked with all our neighbours and sister countries. Under the Renewed Hope Agenda, and within the framework of the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, we have embraced a new path—combining strategic realism with visionary ambition.

“The National Policy on Health Workforce Migration is a cornerstone of this path. It is designed to address health workforce migration with dignity—dignity for health workers, for the country, and the profession. It is data-driven, evidence-guided, and signals a clear direction. This is not a restrictive policy, nor is it one born out of resignation. We understand that the global health workforce shortage is at 18 million, and countries in the Global North face their human resource crises due to demographics and other factors. But our response is based on stewardship—balancing the rights of health professionals to seek opportunities abroad with our duty to protect the integrity and viability of our national health system.

“The objectives are clear – To retain and motivate health workers currently serving in Nigeria—thousands of whom work under difficult conditions; to establish ethical norms and explore bilateral frameworks for recruitment, aiming to correct global asymmetries; to expand training capacity—not only for domestic needs, but to contribute to global workforce needs, to enable structured reintegration for the thousands of Nigerian professionals abroad; and to strengthen governance, improve regulatory coordination, and build real-time data systems.”

He urged Africa to lead in forging a new global compact on health workforce mobility—anchored in pan-African training and accreditation standards; shared planning tools, evidence, and data; continental negotiating platforms with destination countries; and sustained investments in the people who care for our people.

The President of AMCOA, Prof Joel Okullo, stressed the importance of collaboration among African countries to tackle healthcare challenges and improve regulation and leadership across the continent.

He expressed the belief that the outcome of the workshop would produce actionable strategies to improve healthcare services across Africa.

“This year’s theme highlights our commitment to tackling the diverse array of challenges within the health regulatory landscape. It seeks to empower AMCOA members and associate members with the wisdom and skills needed for informed strategic and operational decisions in the coming year.

“In this intricate regulatory tapestry, our discussions will illuminate strategies and insights that will bolster regulators’ capabilities. Our focus will revolve around managing health workforce mobility, improving credentialing and information data management systems.

“Let us embark on this journey with enthusiasm and a shared sense of purpose. Our collaborative efforts today and over the next few days will lay the groundwork for transformative changes that will resonate across the healthcare landscape of Africa,” he noted.

The Registrar of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Dr Fatima Kyari, while welcoming participants to the event, noted that it was Nigeria’s first AMCOA workshop while commending the alignment of leadership towards the shared goal of patient safety.

The Board Chairperson of MDCN, Prof Afolabi Lesi highlighted the need for healthcare regulators to uphold global standards while adapting to local contexts.

Lesi, who is also the Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee for the workshop addressed the challenges of fragmented professional relationships that hinder implementation and compromise patient care.

“The reality is that while we have committed and clear directions at the level of governance, implementation of actions is bedevilled by the fractioned and fractious relationship among health workers who ought to be working as a team, with the patient (well-being and safety) as the primary focus of all our actions,” he said.

By Laide Akinboade, Abuja

The Federal Government, FG, at the weekend revealed that over 400,000 Nigerians enrolled for Tuberculosis, TB, treatment in 2024.Dr. Urhioke Ochuko, Deputy Director of the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Program, Department of Public Health, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, revealed this at at a road walk in Abuja, to commemorate the 2025 World Tuberculosis Day, WTBD.

The Director, also urged all stakeholders to intensify efforts in tackling the preventable and curable disease. He emphasized the urgency and how imperative it is for stakeholders for renewed action in the country.The theme for this year’s commemoration, “Yes, We Can Hang TB. Commit, Invest, And Deliver,” with the slogan “We Fit Do Am,” underscores the need for collaboration across all sectors to finally eliminate TB in Nigeria.Dr. Ochuko said, “As a country, we must do all that is necessary to ensure that we end this deadly disease. Even though TB is treatable and curable, we still have work to do,”.Despite Nigeria’s progress in TB control, the disease remains a leading cause of death. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tuberculosis still claims at least one Nigerian life every five minutes, despite being entirely curable. The road walk served as a means of sensitizing Nigerians, particularly in marketplaces and other public areas, about the symptoms of TB and the importance of seeking medical care early.He said, “The whole essence of this exercise is to get people to know that TB is still with us. Anyone who has been coughing for two weeks or more, has a prolonged fever, or is losing weight unintentionally should visit the nearest hospital for a test. If diagnosed, treatment is free,”.Nigeria has made strides in TB detection and treatment. Dr. Ochuko revealed that over 400,000 Nigerians were enrolled in TB treatment in 2024, a significant improvement in case notification rates. However, with an estimated 500,000 new cases annually, the country is still working to bridge the gap in identifying and treating every infected person.To further accelerate TB control efforts, the government has recently deployed over 400 portable digital X-ray machines across both rural and urban communities to enhance screening and early detection.“These machines will be deployed nationwide, especially in underserved communities, ensuring that no Nigerian is left behind in the fight against TB,” Dr. Ochuko explained.The 2025 World Tuberculosis Day commemoration serves as a wake-up call for increased investment in TB control. The government and stakeholders continue to push for universal health coverage, ensuring that every Nigerian is screened, diagnosed, and treated at no cost.Dr. Ochuko remains optimistic that with sustained commitment and investment, Nigeria can achieve its TB eradication goals.“We have made good progress, but there’s still work to do. If we remain committed, invest in the right resources, and deliver on our strategies, we will defeat tuberculosis once and for all,” he concluded.With more awareness, community engagement, and enhanced healthcare interventions, Nigeria is on the path to making tuberculosis a disease of the past.

By Laide Akinboade, Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, on Tuesday raised alarm over 1.4 million people in Abuja, had malaria in 2024.The Mandate Secretary of the FCT, Health Services and Environment, Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe who disclosed this, at the flag off of unbundling and distribution of malaria drugs and free test kits.

She said that is about 25% of the whole population in Abuja . She said malaria remains a killer of children under five and women. “Only one thing causes malaria, which is mosquito. If we can eliminate mosquitoes, we can eliminate malaria. However, the network of roads provided by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike have provided access to communities during emergencies. “Today, we have taken a decisive and deliberate action to fight malaria. Malaria remains a leading a cause of death among children under five and women. “Nigeria is responsible for 27 percent of global malaria prevalence, the highest figure in the world. A survey carried out by the World Health Organisation, WHO in 2024 says 1.4 million people of the population of FCT suffer from malaria. The FCT is between 5 to 6 million population, making it 5 percent of malaria prevalence.”Fasawe said Wike paid up the counterpart funding for FCT last year which enabled them to participate in the programme this year. She said the fight against malaria is a fight for life as in every five minutes, a child dies of malaria in Nigeria. “ We want to kick out malaria from the FCT and Nigeria as a whole.”She said that they have decided to completely eliminate malaria and that they are providing free test kits and free treatment with medicines.She also noted that a survey in 2024 shows that 60 percent of children presented in the FCT presented clear cases of of malaria. Assuring that all public health facilities in the FCT have been given free health kits and free drugs and that any facility found selling would be sanctioned. Also insecticide treated nets have been made available for distribution to pregnant women and nursing mothers. She reiterated that, malaria is a preventable cause of death and that treatment will reduce drastically cases of malaria. “The duration of the programme would be for two years while to keep drugs available all through the year, procurement would be carried out as at when needed”, she said. In his contribution, the acting permanent secretary of Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr. Abubakar Ahmadu said the programme would improve access to health care and reduce out of pocket money of the people. He urged health care practitioners to make judicious use of the kits and drugs. The representative of Famkris Healthcare Initiative, Dr. Maureen Ugochuku, one of the NGOs partnering with the FCT said malaria remained Nigeria’s most pressing public health challenge. She said the economic toll is equally devastating as households spend scarce resources on treatment, while businesses suffer during malaria attack. The project was co funded by the Islamic Development Bank.