The Senior Special Adviser to the President on Health, Dr. Salma Anas-Ibrahim has disclosed that the renewed hope health agenda of President Bola Tinubu is committed to covering over 50 million Nigerians and the most vulnerable, including the elderly people within the next four years.
Anas-Ibrahim while disclosing this in her keynote address on Monday at the National Healthy Ageing Summit in Abuja, therefore, expressed optimism that it is doable, as younger generations can tap the potentials and harness the contributions of all to achieve national development and socio-economic growth of their country.
She said: “The renewed hope health agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to cover over 50 million Nigerians and most of them vulnerable, including the elderly people within the next four years by the grace of God.
As I’m speaking to you today as a special adviser to the president, the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I want to reiterate to you that this is a critical stage in our lifetime in Nigeria, as we are transitioning to a new government of renewed hope and a renewed hope for health.:
“So I would like to say that the President is committed to ensuring that we meet and realize our universal health care coverage, which also involves the health of the elderly people. No one will be left behind. Not an elderly person or any other person will be left behind,” She said.
She further disclosed that the agenda will recognise a critical component of the vulnerable group and will access quality healthcare services that cover all vulnerable groups including women and children, and also disabled people.
“The elderly need both social and psychological needs in addition to medical needs, as we also need to protect them from long-term care, provide support and protection from abuse and discrimination.”
These are things that are happening silently in our communities, but you know, as I said, elderly people, their voices continue to get low so they don’t complain.
