NATIONAL HEALTH PROMOTION POLICY 2019 – Available evidence indicates that Health Promotion is an effective tool for galvanizing individual and collective health actions aimed at preventing diseases, improving the health and wellbeing of the populace as well as ensuring a healthier society for all. In furtherance of the Federal Government of Nigeria’s stewardship role of improving the health of the Nation, the first edition of the National Health Promotion Policy (2006) and the Strategic Framework for its Implementation (2007) were developed to strengthen the Health Promotion capacity of the National Health System.
The review of the National Health Promotion Policy (2006) is a major step towards effective re-positioning of health promotion in Nigeria. The process provided Nigeria’s frontline health promotion managers, practitioners and technical assistants a strategic opportunity to examine the evolution of health promotion in Nigeria over the past thirteen years and the findings suggest that the key reasons for the underperformance include a weak road map and process for translating the National Health Promotion Policy (2006) into interventions; weak management structures, weak health promotion systems and infrastructure across the three tiers of government; usurpation of health promotion functions by programmes, projects, other sectors and sub-sectors in disregard of the policy; and non-prioritization of health promotion by the political class.
This 2019 revised National Health Promotion Policy sets standards and provides accurate guidance on best practices and what should be done by decision makers, managers and service providers of health promotion at various levels. The revised policy further identifies the relevant human resource necessary to implement health promotion activities effectively and efficiently by expanding the skills-base of Health Promoters to include persons with the minimum required qualifications and skills in line with global best practice. It aims to ensure that health promotion steps out of its less successful past. That way, it can become a formidable contributor to the achievement of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the Universal Health Coverage; thereby improving the health and wellbeing of the Nigerian populace.
Rolling out and implementing this revised National Health Promotion Policy (2019) will entail strengthening our planning and review systems. Strategic and Annual Operational plans for health promotion, including a variety of guidelines will need to be developed urgently.