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• October 11, 2025
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Africa Healthcare Get AI-Powered Multimodal, AFIYA Connect

Africa Healthcare Get AI-Powered Multimodal, AFIYA Connect

Africans will have the benefit of a transformative innovation in health delivery with the introduction of multimodal, multilingual AI health companion in the continent.

The AI-powered initiative, known as ‘AFIYA’ launched by HubPharm Africa has the capacity to reshape healthcare delivery across the continent and promote Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

The unveiling of the project, which was held in commemoration of the World Pharmacy Day 2025, signals a major leap forward in digital health innovation and chronic disease management.

According to HubPharm Africa, AFIYA is built on Amazon Web Services (AWS), ensuring robust reliability and scalability. Accessible 24/7 via WhatsApp, the platform meets users where they already are – eliminating barriers to adoption and reaching over 500 million Africans without the need for additional downloads.

Highlighting the urgency of AFIYA’s mission, the Founder of HubPharm Africa, Pharm. Sesan Kareem, said: “Across Africa, more than 100 million people live with chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol.

“For many, managing these illnesses is a daily struggle due to forgotten medications, limited access to providers, high costs, and geographical isolation. AFIYA aims to change this narrative,” he said.

Continuing, he said that AFIYA’s features are tailored to meet Africa’s diverse healthcare needs. “It offers medication reminders and alerts, prescription refills, and drug delivery – all through WhatsApp.”

He explained that the platform supports over 30 African languages, including English, Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, and French; ensuring inclusivity and cultural relevance.

It also enables diaspora families to support loved ones at home, provides guided mental health tools for stress and anxiety, and delivers preventive health education for long-term well-being.

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Africans will have the benefit of a transformative innovation in health delivery with the introduction of multimodal, multilingual AI health companion in the continent. The AI-powered initiative, known as ‘AFIYA’

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• October 11, 2025
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FG Approves Deployment of 20,000 Health Workers to Federal Hospitals

FG Approves Deployment of 20,000 Health Workers to Federal Hospitals

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The federal government said it has approved the recruitment and deployment of over 20,000 health workers in federal government-owned health facilities across the country.

It also said that as part of implementation of the Sector-wide Approach (SWAP) reform initiative in the health sector, 69,000 frontline health workers have been retrained across all the 36 states of the federation.

In addition, the Nurses and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) said that over 115,000 nurses and Midwives are presently being produced annually in Nigeria.

Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Mohammad Pate, disclosed this while speaking at the ceremony marking the Roll-out of Nigeria’s Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery (NSDNM) in Abuja.

The five-year action plan which was unveiled yesterday in Abuja, contains a roadmap to strengthen healthcare delivery and transform nursing profession nationwide

Pate said that nurses are at the core of people’s care in hospital services in the country.

He said that federal government has “made deliberate investments on the health workforce, particularly in nursing and midwifery and other frontline workers, recognising the significant supply demand gap in our health labour market.

“This administration, under His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu has consistently demonstrated unwavering commitment to uplifting the nursing and midwifery profession.

“Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in the past year has championed strategic expansion of nursing and midwifery education,” he said.

On recruitment of health workers, Pate said, “The Director of Human Resources in the Ministry has been graciously authorised by His Excellency, the President, to accelerate recruitment waivers for health workers in federal facilities—at least 20,000 workers, 60 per cent of whom are in the nursing and midwifery professions. This demonstrates that our efforts are not just about talk but about tangible action.”

While explaining the policy objective, Pate said that it will “strengthen education, create dignified and rewarding career pathways through jobs, expand leadership opportunities and retain top talent within our health system to deliver services.

“It is a practical guide that will shape reforms, investments and innovations in nursing and midwifery over the next five years, while also positioning Nigeria as a contributor to global health system resilience through skilled, motivated and equitably distributed workforce.

Pate, who said the President has granted waivers for the recruitment and deployment of over 20,000 health workers in federal facilities, disclosed that 60 per cent of them are to come from the nursing and midwifery profession because they’re the front line.

“Already under this effort of the Sector-wide Approach in the health care system (SWAP) has led to the retraining of 69,000 frontline health workers across all the 36 states of the Federation and with nurses and members benefiting directly from the enhanced capacity development across the states and local government areas in the last 20 months.

“I believe, and my Director of Human Resources here, the Federal Ministry has been graciously given permission by His Excellency, Mr. President, to accelerate the waivers to enable recruitment of health workers in federal government health facilities,” he said.

Special guest at the event and the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, said the policy initiative provides a bold, comprehensive and forward looking roadmap that will guide, strengthen institutions and ultimately enhance the contributions of nurses and midwives to our national development.

“As we move forward from this summit, I urge all stakeholders of government agencies, professional bodies, educational institutions and our vital development partners to embrace the spirit of collaboration and work tirelessly towards full and faithful implementation of this strategic document,” he said.

Earlier in her speech, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachallom, said the policy  roadmap is anchored on four pillars, including education, which entails reforming and scaling up nursing and midwifery education to meet both local and global demands.

She also said that the policy seeks to ensure quality and relevance to job creation, developing sustainable strategies for employment retention and fair compensation of our health workforce leadership, empowering nurses and midwives to assume leadership roles in policy, planning and management at all levels and for service delivery.

The Registrar of Nurses and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, Dr. Ndagi Alhassan, said the yearly production rate of nurses in the country which previously stood at 23,000 is now over 115, 000 per annum.

However, Alhassan said that a major challenge presently is engaging these trained nurses, adding that it is becoming difficult for the government to provide employment for them.

He also disclosed that the council has introduced an initiative to help solve the problem as well address the problem of health worker migration.

According to him, the government is now patterning with communities to select and train nurses who will undertake to serve in various communities where they come from.

One of the highlights of the ceremony was awards of Ambassadors of the Nursing/Midwifery profession to Pate, Senator Banigo and Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.

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Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The federal government said it has approved the recruitment and deployment of over 20,000 health workers in federal government-owned health facilities across the country. It also