The World Health Organisation, WHO has called on African leaders to invest in the health sector, which it says is a major catalyst for economic development.
The Director General of WHO, Tedros Ghebreyesus, made the call in Abuja at the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Forum.
The Director General in a panel discussion on the role of health care in economic transformation said the health sector holds lots of opportunities for job creation and lucrative investments. He said that to achieve universal coverage, private sector investment was key, adding that, it was the reason the health sector had to be economically viable to attract investments.
Meanwhile, The Nigerian First Lady Aisha Buhari, said that about nine point two million Nigerian women and girls get pregnant every year and an alarming number of them die due to causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. She added that something must be done to reduce maternal deaths in Nigeria.
Also Guinea and Mali’s First Ladies, Djena Condé and Keita Maiga, who were also on the panel, spoke on the importance of healthcare in economic development of their respective countries.
