The Center for Health Education and Life Promotion (C-HELP) in collaboration with the Medical Woman Association of Nigeria (MWAN) recently presented its 5th health summit with the theme “Rebranding The Nigerian System Towards And Within A New Nigeria Of Our Collective Dream.” The event was hosted by Dr. Popoola Margaret and took place on October 27th, with a road walk on October 29th featuring Her Excellency, the wife of the Kebbi State Governor and founder of the Medicaid Cancer Foundation.
The summit was an annual event, and this year marked the fifth edition. According to Dr. Popoola, the aim of C-HELP is to identify care gaps in the Nigerian health system and find sustainable ways to bridge them. The conference provided a platform for discussions on how to improve the Nigerian health system and achieve the ultimate goal of reversing medical tourism.
Unlike previous editions, this year’s summit was primarily an online event with a land base at Brix Academy, Jabi. The event was well-attended and interactive with robust presentations and contributions from seasoned experts. Dr. Popoola described the summit as a successful event.
The summit was targeted at bridging healthcare gaps in Nigeria to aid in reversing medical tourism. Among the topical health issues discussed were cancer and the need for improved cancer treatment navigation, highlighting facilities that provide cutting-edge services of international standard, and the place of clinical trials in an emerging health system.
Dr. Popoola expressed the hope that the summit would create awareness about these issues and educate more people about cancer. She noted that the discussions would also point people in the direction of appropriate health facilities to go to when in need of specialized cancer care.
The event also highlighted the need for research and clinical trials, and Dr. Popoola was happy to report that the federal government recently announced the creation of a directorate for cancer treatment research. She believes that the work of C-HELP and other organizations contributed to this development.
The summit concluded with an expectation of a reduction in medical tourism in Nigeria in the years to come. C-HELP wants to look back and say that their work contributed greatly to reversing medical tourism in Nigeria.
The event was well-organized, and the line-up of speakers was impressive. The moderators included experts in various fields, and the event flowed smoothly. The summit’s success is a testament to the dedication of C-HELP and MWAN to improve the Nigerian health system and bridge healthcare gaps.
