On 30th March 2021, Nigeria’s Honorable Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, inaugurated a 25-man team to serve as commissioners of the Nigerian NCDI Poverty Commission.
This milestone inauguration and focus on addressing poverty adds Nigeria to a list of 22 countries that have focused efforts and established commissions to address the burden of NCDI and poverty. NCDIs contribute an estimated 35%[1] to the total deaths in Nigeria and the commission expands efforts by the Federal Ministry of Health to address this growing burden.
The commissioners, drawn from a multi-sectoral stakeholder group (including policy makers, technical experts, clinicians, academia, and public and private sector participants) have been charged with identifying and prioritizing policies, interventions, and integrated delivery platforms[2]. The commission has the mandate of documenting local NCDI policies, strategies, and accomplishments in the country achieved thus far; providing data regarding availability and coverage of key health sector interventions; and analyzing current expenditures and investment in NCDIs, among others. These objectives are to be delivered in four phases, between March 2021 and February 2022.
The Honorable Minister of Health, Dr. E.O. Ehanire summarized the task set before the team thus, “Nigeria’s admission to the NCDI Poverty Commission Network could not have come at a better time. The NCDI poverty commissioners to be inaugurated today will support the NCD coordination mechanism to generate data on NCDIs in Nigeria, to prioritize them and develop strategies for managing them.”
On a global scale, the Lancet NCDI Poverty Commission works to address the disproportionate burden of Non-Communicable Diseases and Injuries (NCDIs) on the world’s poorest. Amongst its objectives are identifying and prioritizing cost-effective & equitable interventions, examining the state of NCDI financing in countries where the poorest live. Understanding the history and the current state of the NCDI framework at the national and global level. Since its establishment in 2016, the Lancet NCDI Commission has collaborated with 22 low-and-lower-middle-income countries.
Screenshot of some of the participants at the inaugural meeting
We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Grants and Business Development Specialist to join our organization. The successful candidate will be responsible for identifying funding opportunities, developing grant proposals, and fostering partnerships with potential donors and stakeholders (regional and global). This role plays a vital part in securing funds and resources to support our organization’s mission and projects.
The consultant (working with the Accelerator team) will collect results from the tool, organize a meeting with stakeholders to discuss results from the tool, and produce a report on key findings and recommendations from the tool to be shared publicly.
We are currently in search of an experienced Public Health professional in Senegal to work on the anticipated Nutrition Capacity Development and Financing Platform and provide technical assistance to elevate nutrition financing and strengthen local capacity to support these efforts. The Associate must be bilingual (English and French).
