2017

WEST AFRICAN COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS (Nigeria Chapter)

41st ANNUAL GENERAL AND SCIENTIFIC MEETING (ASABA 2017)

17TH – 21ST JULY, 2017                 

COMMUNIQUÉ

PREAMBLE

The 41st Annual General and Scientific Meeting of the West African College of Physicians (Nigeria Chapter) held at the Federal Medical Centre and Orchid Hotels, Asaba, Delta State from the 17th to the 21stJuly, 2017.

The Governor of Delta State, His Excellency Senator (Dr) Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa, ably represented by Dr Nicholas Azinge the Honourable Commissioner for Health, declared the Conference open on the 19th July 2017.

Other dignitaries including the President of the West African College of Physicians Dr Ifeoma Egbuonu, Secretary General of the West African College of Physicians Dr Clement Ezechukwu and Medical Director, Federal Medical Centre graced the event.

Courtesy calls were earlier paid by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the WACP Nigeria Chapter to the following:

  • Secretary to the Delta State Government, Mr.Ovie Agas
  • Delta State Commissioner for Health, Hon. Dr. Nicholas Azinge
  • Permanent Secretary, State Ministry of Health, Dr. Oseji Mininim (FWACP)
  • Permanent Secretary, Delta State Adult and Literacy Education, Dr. Caroline Ajuyah FWACP, MNI
  • Medical Director, Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, Dr Victor A. Osiatuma
  • Manager, Nigerian Television Authority, Asaba.

The Theme of the Conference was “UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO HEALTH: A BASIC NECESSITY FOR ATTAINMENT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 3” and the Sub Theme was

“Building Sustainable Health Care Leadership for SDG’’

Over Four Hundred (400) delegates from different parts of Nigeria attended and fully participated in the meeting. The College President and the Secretary General of the College were present all through the conference.

The Academic activities of the meeting included the following:

  1. The 14th Annual Sir Samuel Manuwa Memorial Lecture, entitled “UNIVERSAL HEALTH ACCESS AS A MEANS TO ATTAINING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL (SDG) 3 – PHILOSOPHY OF JUSTICE” was delivered by Dr Richard Uwakwe on behalf of the Faculty of Psychiatry.

Two (2) Plenary Sessions:

The First Plenary session titled “Quality of Care Approaches in Nigeria: The Case of Maternal and Newborn Health” was presented by Dr.Oniyire Adetiloye, Country Director/MCSP Chief of Party, Jhpiego.

The Second Plenary session titled “A Strategic Health Financing Policy: A Requirement for Achieving Universal Health Coverage” was presented by Dr. Ben Nkechika, DG/CEO Delta State Contributory Health Commission.

The Annual Symposium, mounted by the Faculty of Paediatrics, was titled “MATERNAL & CHILD HEALTH CARE: Focus on Perinatal & Neonatal Health for the Attainment of the SDGs.” Speakers were Dr Aruma Disu, Dr. William Ogala, Dr. Alice Nte and Dr. Robinson Wammanda.

A total of Seventy (70) Scientific papers were submitted for the Conference. These covered a wide range of topics traversing various sub-specialties in Medicine. These included Oral presentations in Improving Quality Care, Cardiology/ Endocrinology, Preventive/ Medical Education, Haematology, Infectious Diseases, Neurology/ Neuropsychiatry, Neonatology, Nutrition/ Breastfeeding, HIV etc. There were also many Poster presentations.

OBSERVATIONS

  1. Health is an unalienable right of every citizen. In the World Health Organization’s (WHO) constitution, Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction.
  2. Universal Healthcare access, the ability or opportunity of people to secure necessary health services without the fear of incurring financial difficulties because of cost, is equitable, fair and justified!
  3. Lack of adequate healthcare prevents full enjoyment of other species, play and political participation.
  4. A just society will ensure the provision of Universal Healthcare coverage.
  5. The indices for Maternal and Child Health are still poor. This stems from poor budgetary allocation to the Health Sector, poor accessibility and over-reliance on donor agencies.
  6. Attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) may turn out to be a mirage with the attendant consequences, if poor budgetary allocation to health is not addressed.
  7. The functional system to oil the wheel of the progress of the SDGs is not in place. Human factors have also been identified as the clog in the system.

RECOMMENDATIONS

  1. Healthcare coverage must be made equitable, just and fair
  2. Appropriate budgetary allocation to the Health sector is necessary to enable delivery of quality health care
  3. Healthcare must be made accessible to all without discrimination of any kind
  4. Removing the burden of economic inaccessibility by consolidating the Health Insurance Scheme.
  5. Political will to control unnecessary medical tourism and emphasize improvement of the National Healthcare System.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The West African College of Physicians Nigeria Chapter would like to acknowledge the support of the following in ensuring a successful AGSM in Asaba in 2017; The Executive Governor of Delta State, the Honourable Commissioner for Health Delta State, the President and Secretary General, West African College of Physicians, the MD, FMC Asaba among others.                            

Dr Abel Nze Onunu                                                                 Dr Adeyinka Abdulrasaq Akande
Chapter Chairman/VP (Nigeria)                                              Chapter Secretary