Pate Raises Alarm Over Rising Non-Communicable Diseases, Urges Health System Preparedness

Oru Leonard 

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, has raised the alarm over the rapid growth of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in Nigeria, warning that the country’s healthcare system must urgently strengthen its capacity to address the emerging public health challenge.

Pate stated this in Abuja during the public presentation and launch of the book, A Review of Non-Communicable Diseases in Nigeria, published by the Health Sector Reform Coalition (HERFON).

The minister explained that although infectious diseases, maternal health and child health dominated Nigeria’s public health concerns over the past three to four decades, NCDs are now becoming an increasingly significant component of the country’s disease burden.

He identified hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, sickle cell disease, cancers and neurological disorders among the conditions requiring greater attention from policymakers, healthcare professionals and development partners.

“In the past thirty, forty years infectious diseases, maternal and child health were main issues. They are still with us, but NCDs, even though smaller, are becoming an increasingly faster growing segment of our burden of disease,” Pate said.

According to him, changing lifestyles and an ageing population are contributing to the growing prevalence of NCDs, with some parts of the country, particularly the South-East, already experiencing an increase in age-related health conditions.

Pate said the Federal Government had, over the past three years, embarked on significant health sector renewal initiatives aimed at improving healthcare delivery, strengthening the medical workforce and expanding access to specialised treatment.

He disclosed that the government had retrained nearly 80,000 frontline health workers, doubled admission quotas for medical and nursing students, and invested in the expansion of tertiary healthcare infrastructure.

The minister also announced progress in the development of specialised cancer treatment and diagnostic facilities across the country.

“We have made major strides. Three out of six world-class cancer centres have been commissioned already. Just two weeks ago, we commissioned two out of ten completed world-class diagnostic centres across Nigeria with MRI, CT scans and CATHLABs,” he said.

Pate further revealed that the Federal Executive Council had recently approved N268 billion for a major infrastructure project at the National Hospital, Abuja.

He described the approval as a significant investment, noting that the amount was more than ten times the hospital’s capital budget over the preceding two years.

The initiatives, he explained, form part of broader efforts to improve the capacity of Nigeria’s healthcare system to respond to both existing and emerging health challenges.

 

Addressing the financial implications of NCDs, Pate stressed that these conditions present a different challenge from many infectious diseases because they often require continuous medical care, regular monitoring and lifelong medication.

He said expanding health insurance coverage was therefore essential to reducing the financial burden on patients and their families.

According to the minister, more than seven million Nigerians have been added to health insurance coverage through the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) in the last three years.

He maintained that strengthening health insurance and improving access to medical services would be critical to ensuring that Nigerians living with chronic conditions receive sustained treatment without facing overwhelming out-of-pocket expenses.

Earlier, the Chairman of HERFON’s Board of Trustees, Dr. Idris Muhammed, described the book launch as an important intervention at a time when NCDs are increasingly contributing to sudden deaths and serious health complications in Nigerian homes and communities.

He noted that the publication brings together contributions from experts in Nigeria, South Africa, the Middle East, the United Kingdom and the United States.

According to him, the book examines gaps in Nigeria’s response to NCDs and proposes evidence-based measures for improving prevention, diagnosis, treatment and policy implementation.

Muhammed said the initiative was designed to mobilise resources for the free distribution of the publication to HERFON chapters across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Other objectives, he explained, include stimulating national dialogue on NCD policies and healthcare financing, as well as securing stronger commitments from government and development partners to tackle conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and sickle cell disease.

He also identified snakebite as an important health concern requiring attention.

The coordinating minister urged state governments to complement federal investments by allocating more resources to healthcare, arguing that recent economic reforms had improved their fiscal capacity.

He emphasised that sustainable improvements in healthcare delivery would require cooperation among federal and state governments, particularly in financing essential services and expanding access to treatment.

“States are getting a lot more resources now. The fiscal position is improved. We need to get states to also put resources so that we will get a health system that functions properly,” Pate added.

His appeal highlights the importance of coordinated funding arrangements in tackling diseases that require long-term prevention, diagnosis, treatment and patient monitoring.

Also speaking at the event, the Country Director of the Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED), Dr. Emmanuel Sokpo, congratulated HERFON on the publication, describing it as a landmark contribution to discussions on health equity and healthcare financing.

“NCDs touch the life of everybody in Nigeria. The book speaks to health equity and financing,” Sokpo said.

Pate also commended HERFON and the 70 authors and editors involved in producing the book, stressing the importance of developing research that reflects Nigeria’s own health realities.

He observed that much of the existing understanding of NCDs had historically been drawn from studies conducted among populations outside Africa, making locally generated evidence essential for designing appropriate interventions.

The minister’s position underscores the need for stronger Nigerian research into disease patterns, risk factors, prevention strategies and treatment outcomes to support evidence-based policymaking.

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) supported the initiative by funding the printing of the publication.

In addition, Limi Hospital and NISA Hospital provided free health screening for participants at the event.

The launch comes amid growing calls for a more comprehensive national response to chronic diseases, with stakeholders emphasising prevention, early detection, affordable treatment, research and sustainable healthcare financing as key elements in reducing Nigeria’s NCD burden.