The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is one of the Federal Ministries of Nigeria concerned with the formulation and implementation of policies related to health. It is headed by two Ministers appointed by the President, assisted by a Permanent Secretary, who is a career civil servant.[1] The current Minister of Health is Muhammad Ali Pate.[2] The current Minister of State for Health Iziaq Adekunle Salako.[3][4]The current Permanent Secretary's of Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is Daju Kachollom.[5]
Departments
The Ministry has several departments specializing in different aspects of health care. The Family Health department is concerned with creating awareness on reproductive, maternal and neonatal and child health, ensuring sound nutrition including infant and young child feeding, and care of the elderly and adolescents.
The department of Public Health coordinates formulation, implementation and evaluation of public health policies and guidelines. It undertakes health promotion, surveillance, prevention and control of diseases.[6]
Functions of the department of Planning Research And Statistics include developing plans and budgets and monitoring their implementation, serving as Secretariat to the National Council on Health, conducting health research in collaboration with other departments and agencies, institutions and parastatals, conducting operational research and data collection, and performing various coordination functions.[6][7]
The department of Hospital Services coordinates Nigeria's Teaching hospitals, Orthopedic Hospitals, Federal Medical Centres and National Eye Centers. The department processes appointment of chief medical directors and medical directors, supervises oral health research, develops policies on nursing, coordinates training programmes for nurses and monitors the midwifery service scheme in collaboration with NPHCDA.[6][8]
Development of Plans (Rolling, Medium and Perspective) and Preparation of Budgets.
Monitoring and Evaluation of Programmes, Projects and Plans Implementation.
Serve as Secretariat to the National Council on Health.
Conduct research into the sectors over which the Ministry has jurisdiction, in collaboration with other departments and agencies, institutions and parastatals.
Conduct research into the internal organizational, operational and management modalities of the Ministry.
Routine collection and processing of Data and Statistics relating to the Ministry and the Health Sector.
Liaison with relevant bodies outside the Ministry.
Coordinating, tracking and assessing MDG projects and programmes.
Planning and coordination of Human Resources for Health development.
International Health & Resource Mobilization.
Implementation of World Bank/African Development Bank Health Systems Development Project.
Coordination of National Health Management Information System.
Serves as Secretariat of the National Health Research Ethics Committee.
Past and present ministers
There have been 25 ministers appointed since 1957.[17]