Abuja, Nigeria, 19 December, 2014 - The Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) has organized the National Human Resource for Health Stakeholders meeting on the December 15, 2014 at the Chelsea Hotel, Abuja, with  support from the World Health organization.

The meeting which was predicated on building consensus to fast-track the implementation of strategies for the electronic web-based National health workforce Registry (NHWR), agree on way forward with the review of the Human Resource for Health policy, strategic plan and the effect of health worker migration in Nigeria.

In his speech, the Chair and Permanent Secretary FMOH, Mr. Linus Awute, considered the meeting  “crucial for efficient development and management of HRH at all levels of governance” He cited the approval of NHWR guidelines and the task-shifting policy at the just concluded 57th National Council as “a source of pride for the African region and the HRH policy and strategic plan documents, key to Human Resource for Health development”.

Speaking at the occasion, the WHO representative (WR) to Nigeria, Dr. Rui Gama Vaz expressed his appreciation for the wonderful cooperation that exists between The Government of Nigeria and its partners, and indicated WHO’s unwavering commitment in providing the necessary technical support.

The WR described the meeting as “pinnacle of all of the activities as it brings together major HRH stakeholders in the country to reach consensus on the revisions of National HRH Policy and Strategic Plan as well as set tone for next steps in implementation of the NHWR”. He called on the government to maintain the momentum to ensure all states in the federation move this laudable initiative forward.

The comments and issues that rose from the presentations included recommendation that the Heads of Department for health at the LGA drive the HRH agenda. There were also concerns about the states being at different level of capacity to implement the recommendations of the HRH policy and strategic plan.

Notably, the Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) Cluster lead, WHO Country Office in Nigeria Dr. Eileen, Petit-Mshana expressed the need to harmonize the policy and the strategic plan documents so that they complement  each other. She also stressed the importance of reflecting task shifting explicitly in the revised HRH policy document in order to promote its implementation.

In closing. stakeholders agreed next steps to be executed and reported between January and June 2015, among them: HRH committees to be set up in all the State Ministries of Health and Federal Capital Territory as a replica of the National HRH Partners Forum.