HEWAN Holds 2024 Symposium/Award, Issues 14-Point Communique
Left to right: Azoma Chikwe, former HEWAN president; Philip Nwosu, Vice Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos Council representing Mr. Adeleye Ajayi, Chairman, NUJ Lagos Council ; Chioma Obinna, incumbent HEWAN president ; Pharm Akinjide Adeosun, Chair Of St Racheal’s Pharmaceuticals; Vivian Ihechu, member, Symposium’s LOC and Sam Eferaro, Executive Director, Diabetes Control Media Advocacy Initiative (DICOMAI ) at HEWAN’s 13th Annual Symposium/Excellence Award held in Lagos on Thursday, June 27, 2024.
The Health Writers’ Association of Nigeria (HEWAN) on Thursday, June 27, 2024, held it’s 2024 annual symposium and award presentation in Lagos. At the end of the programme, a 14-point communique was issued highlighting the concerns, views and recommendations from experts and stakeholders in the nation’s health sector on the way forward for the sector.
Below is the full text of the communique prepared by the symposium Communiqué Drafting Committee, comprising Medinat Kanabe, Editor, Voice of Naija Communications and Vivian Ihechu, Assistant Editor-in-Chief, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
COMMUNIQUÉ ISSUED AT THE END OF THE 2024 HEWAN SYMPOSIUM AND AWARD PRESENTATION HELD AT LCCI, IKEJA, LAGOS, ON 27th JUNE, 2024.
PREAMBLE:
The Health Writers’ Association of Nigeria (HEWAN) on Thursday, 27th June held the 2024 edition of its annual symposiump themed: ‘Dwindling Local Drug Production and High Cost of Essential Medicines: Rethinking Strategies for Growth.”
The event, which was held at LCCI, Alausa Ikeja, was well-attended by relevant stakeholders.
Participants included representatives from the Lagos State government, journalists, health experts among others.
The symposium was aimed at engaging different stakeholders in the health sector on discussions around funding, HPV Vaccination, local drug production and more.
The symposium had as the chairman, Mr Akinjide Adeosun, Chairman and CEO At Rachael’s Pharma. Speakers includes Mr Oluwatosin Jolayeni, Group Chief Executive Officer of Daily Need Group, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Health, District IV and National Chairman, Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), Pharm Olawale Oladigbolu.
Recommendation
1) The symposium recommended that the Nigerian government should managed float of the currency. The current N1, 500.00 to 1 USD exchange rate is not sustainable in the long term.
2) Symposium recommends Fiscal Policy: Recall & deploy retired Security personnel (Police, DSS & Military) to the wards in local government areas to assist in curtailing insecurity. This will help food production.
3) Symposium recommends that government should provide grants (not loans) to businesses.
4) Symposium recommends that government to consider selling non- performing assets to generate foreign exchange. (E.g. Federal Secretariat & Nitel buildings in Lagos).
5) Symposium recommends that FIRS should focus on only 8 tax types accounting for 90% of tax revenue and delete 54 tax types which are ‘impediments to business growth as first noted by Mr.Zacch ADEDEJI, the ARS chairman.
6) Symposium recommends that small tax payer with businesses with annual turnover of less than N1billion should be given Tax Holiday for 1 year. Medium to large tax payers should have corporate income tax (CIT) reduced from 30% to 20% to help cushion the shock of the operating environment. Import duty, import levy should be deleted to enhance the survival of the pharmaceutical sector.
7) Symposium recommends that government should fund the pharmaceutical industry just as it has funded Dangote refinery. Both are very important.
8) Symposium recommends that government should fund pharmaceutical grade starch
9) Symposium recommends that government should make the made in Nigeria pharmaceutical products generic
10) Symposium recommends that government should make Health Insurance compulsory
11) Symposium recommends that government should close down Open Drug Markets because they give room for fake products and cheat the supply chain.
12) Symposium recommends that government should stop chasing inflation. Chase growth and leave inflation alone. 26.25% MPR is too high.
13) Symposium recommends that to face the current economic challenges in Nigeria, individuals should take steps such as investing in land, treasury bills, and bonds, and maintaining a habit of maintenance and repair.
14) Symposium recommends that- businesses should diversify their offerings, chase government contracts, outsource non-essential services, and consider solar panels to reduce energy costs.
