Gates Foundation Urges Nigeria to Boost Funding for Non-Communicable Diseases
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has called on the Nigerian government to significantly increase funding for health programmes targeting non-communicable diseases (NCDs), warning that the country faces a growing crisis. Speaking at a Roundtable Forum in Abuja, the Foundation’s Country Director, Uche Amaonwu, stressed the need to integrate NCD care into primary healthcare and strengthen health financing policies. “In Nigeria, we’ve seen a rising burden of non-communicable diseases. This is why the roundtable is charting a new path,” Amaonwu said. He explained that the Foundation is working with life sciences partners to co-invest in health systems, shifting from isolated projects to coordinated support. He added that health access must be seen as a foundation for prosperity. “Families sell assets, cut back on education, and sacrifice opportunities just to pay medical bills. That cycle must be broken,” he said. The […]
