Muhammad Ali Pate

Warm congratulations, 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐃𝐲𝐛𝐮𝐥, on your appointment as the next Executive Director of @GlobalFund. Your appointment reflects affirmation of the Board’s confidence in your leadership and commitment to global health. I am confident that you will build on the excellent work of @PeterASands and the Secretariat, taking the Fund’s mission forward with renewed determination. Protecting the gains against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, strengthening national health systems and sustaining international solidarity will require precisely the experience and commitment you bring. For Nigeria, this is a further opportunity to deepen a partnership of lasting importance. As we advance the 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 @SWApGov under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu @officialABAT, we look forward to working with you to strengthen our national institutions, sustainable financing and ensure that support translates into better care for our people in line with the @AccraReset. Mark, you can count on our support and Nigeria’s constructive partnership. I look forward to working closely and wish you every success in this renewed responsibility. theglobalfund.org/en/news/20…

The Swiss authorities have confirmed that the patient and her spouse arrived safely in Switzerland today. She is receiving care at Geneva University Hospitals @hug_ge, while her spouse is in isolation at University Hospital Zurich @Unispital_USZ. In our telephone conversation, Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider conveyed Switzerland’s appreciation for the care provided by Nigerian health professionals and the close cooperation between our authorities and @WHO that made the evacuation possible. I thank the clinical and public-health teams in Nigeria and Switzerland, @NCDCgov, @BAG_OFSP_UFSP, @EDI_DFI and @WHONigeria for their cooperation, and wish the patient continued recovery. Here in Nigeria, contact monitoring, investigation of alerts and other containment measures continue, with support from @AfricaCDC and @WHOAFRO. We will provide regular updates through @NCDCgov and @Fmohnigeria. @OfficialFCTA @DrPavelUrsu @ProfJanabi @CDCgov @Dr_JeanKaseya @christian_happi @alikothe3rd @SalakoIziaq

Following the imported Ebola index patient’s medical evacuation from Nigeria today, 26 October, our immediate priorities remain active monitoring of all identified contacts, prompt investigation of alerts and strengthened readiness across our health facilities. If no further confirmed or probable cases are detected, Nigeria could progress towards declaring this outbreak over under @WHO criteria, potentially as early as 7 December 2026. This date remains provisional, subject to @NCDCgov and WHO validating the 42-day countdown. Any further case would require a fresh countdown in accordance with those criteria. Our teams, working with FCTA and state health authorities and our partners, remain focused on containment and preventing community transmission. I ask Nigerians to remain calm, cooperate with contact-tracing teams and follow regular updates from @NCDCgov and @Fmohnigeria. @OfficialFCTA @WHONigeria @WHOAFRO @WHO @AfricaCDC @DrPavelUrsu @ProfJanabi @CDCgov @Dr_JeanKaseya @christian_happi @alikothe3rd @SalakoIziaq

I Confirm that, with my approval, earlier this morning, the index case for Nigeria’s first imported Ebola virus disease departed Abuja for Switzerland. The index patient was clinically much improved, stable, conscious, communicating, and her clinical laboratory test results closing towards baseline. This does not mean she is not still infectious, hence the strict protocols in place. The patient was evacuated along with her spouse who has remained asymptomatic. I thank all the various clinical staff for the high quality care they provided the patient as well as the public health personnel who ensured the evacuation was carried out in line with best public health measures for such evacuations. We will provide further updates later this afternoon after the patient and her spouse lands successfully in their destination. All public health measures are continuing to ensure successful containment of the imported virus. I urge Nigerians to remain vigilant and rely on information from credible sources.

Genomic sequencing shows that the Ebola virus from Nigeria’s recently reported only imported case is highly similar to that from Kenya’s @MOH_Kenya reported first imported case, differing by only one mutation. My thanks to the sequencing teams at @NCDCgov and the Institute of Genomics and Global Health @RedeemersUni , Ede, and to @christian_happi for this excellent work. We are forging ahead with public health control measures while awaiting results of further investigations and testing. Our approach is that of solidarity and global cooperation, appreciating the role our sister African nations, @AfricaCDC, Technical partners and experts @WHO, @DrTedros, @Dr_JeanKaseya, Prof. Aliko Ahmed @alikothe3rd, @Fmohnigeria as well key International partners especially The Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy (GHSD) @StateDept. We are determined to do our best to protect the lives and livelihoods of our people and we urge all Nigerians and our partners to work together with us. By the grace of we shall succeed and rise above this public health emergency as we did in 2014.

𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐅𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐀 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐔𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐃 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇, 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐗𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐘, 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑 𝐎𝐋𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐈 𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐔𝐁𝐔, 𝐂𝐎𝐍 On behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, (@Fmohnigeria), I warmly congratulate Your Excellency, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, CON, (@SenRemiTinubu) First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, on your 66th birthday. Your Excellency, the support you have been giving the health sector has been consistent and practical. You flagged off the introduction of the HPV vaccine into Nigeria’s routine immunisation programme, helping to protect millions of girls against cervical cancer. You granted 1 billion Naira towards Cervical Cancer elimination. As Global and National Stop TB Champion @StopTB, you have taken the campaign beyond advocacy. From Nigeria to the Globe. Through the Renewed Hope Initiative, you committed ₦1 billion to the national TB response in 2024 and a further ₦1 billion in 2025, supporting molecular diagnostic equipment, greater public awareness and work to end stigma. By flagging off the incentives under the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative, you have strengthened the national drive to ensure that no woman loses her life while giving birth and that every child has a healthy start. Your support for frontline health workers, including the provision of essential workwear for more than 60,000 personnel, has been widely appreciated by the health workers. Beyond health, the Community Food Bank and Food Outreach programmes, together with assistance to older persons, widows, persons with disabilities, women farmers, young people and small businesses, have brought relief to families across the country. This work complements the social and human development priorities of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and helps the Renewed Hope Agenda reach Nigerians at the point of need. Your Excellency, thank you for standing with the health sector and for the seriousness you bring to public service. Thanks for your empathy, compassion, and focus on the poor and vulnerable populations. We pray that Almighty God grants you good health, renewed strength, protection, and many more fruitful years beside Mr President (@officialABAT), in service to our country. Happy 66th birthday, Your Excellency.

This morning, I visited the 𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐣𝐢𝐣𝐢 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐂, 𝐅𝐂𝐓, where I spent time listening to men, women and children living with visual and physical disabilities. They spoke about their families, the difficulties of getting around and the education they want for their children. I was particularly moved to meet children who had never been able to see since birth but can now see after surgery. A child who regains sight regains the chance to go to school, to work one day and to live more independently. I thank Her Excellency, the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐎𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢 𝐓𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐛𝐮, 𝐂𝐎𝐍, (@SenRemiTinubu), for her motherly compassion for this community and for vulnerable Nigerians across the country. I also thank the 𝐓𝐮𝐥𝐬𝐢 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐫𝐚𝐢 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 for the free eye screening, treatment and sight-restoring surgery already provided. We (@Fmohnigeria) are now working with the Health Services and Environment Secretariat (HSES) (@FCT_phd) (@drdolapofasawe) of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), (@OfficialFCTA ), the National Health Insurance Authority (@nhia_nigeria) (@𝐃𝐫 𝐊𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐢 𝐎𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐢) and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (@NphcdaNG) (@Muyi_Aina) to strengthen the community’s access to primary healthcare and enrol eligible residents for health insurance through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (#BHCPF). We will continue to engage the Tulsi Chanrai Foundation to sustainably complement these programmes with eye care, mobility aids, prosthetic limbs for persons with physical disabilities and other essential support. I invite other charitable organisations, businesses and private citizens to join this effort. We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. Each of us can hold somebody’s hand and help lift them up. Under the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐨𝐥𝐚 𝐀𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐛𝐮, 𝐆𝐂𝐅𝐑 (@officialABAT), we will continue to save lives, reduce physical and financial pain, and produce health for all Nigerians. In Karimojiji, this means restoring sight, helping people move with greater independence, bringing care closer to families and giving children the chance to learn and thrive. Every Nigerian life matters.

Thanks @officialBAT for your incredible leadership, vision, and courage. Slowly and steadily Nigeria’s health sector is making progress. We remain focused, undistracted.

It was great seeing the energy in my ward for @officialABAT re-election! Nigeria must move forward, despite these globally turbulent times.

It was a pleasure to receive H.E. Yousef bin Mohammed Al-Balawi, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Nigeria @KSAembassyNG, at my office, alongside the Honourable Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha @Ngfmld, and the Honourable Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi @FmardNg and other @Fmohnigeria colleagues as we advance preparations for Nigeria’s hosting of the 5th Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on AMR in Abuja from 28–30 June 2026. This will be the first time the AMR Ministerial Conference is hosted on African soil, and Nigeria @officialABAT values Saudi Arabia’s continued partnership following its successful hosting of the 4th edition in Jeddah. Our discussions focused on AMR, health security, One Health collaboration, and human resources for health, including ethical and managed health workforce mobility. Health security does not respect borders; our response must therefore be coordinated, practical, and anchored in shared responsibility. The Ambassador also shared a personal story of his encounter with a Nigerian health professional who impressed him with his skills, exemplifying the latent capacity in our workforce. We look forward to strengthening cooperation with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in health workforce training, including approaches to managed migration where recipient countries support expanded domestic capacity.

𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚 As part of the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative #NHRSII and in furtherance of the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR (@officialABAT), to improve quality health outcomes and strengthen health system performance, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (@Fmohnigeria) has established a National Taskforce for Clinical Governance and Patient Safety. The establishment of this Taskforce reflects a deliberate, system-wide effort to strengthen clinical standards, patient safety, accountability, and learning across public and private health facilities. The Taskforce is oriented toward improvement, active learning, appropriate incentives, and capacity building across the health system, with emphasis on prevention and systems strengthening rather than blame or punitive action in the absence of proven negligence. In this briefing from my desk, I outline the rationale, scope, and direction of the Taskforce, grounded in coordinated governance, prevention, and continuous improvement.

Fellow Nigerians and friends around the world, good day. Under the leadership of H.E. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, @officialABAT, Nigeria’s population of over 240m continues to demonstrate a growing commitment to accessing quality health services and preventive tools that protect lives, reduce avoidable illness, and sustain productivity nationwide. This progress is evidenced by measurable outcomes. In Q2 2024, health facilities nationwide recorded approx. 10m hospital visits. By Q2 2025, visits exceeded 45m, representing a more than fourfold increase and reflecting increased use of essential and life saving services, particularly immunization. Once constrained by misinformation, distrust, and limited access, Nigeria’s youthful population is now achieving historic immunization coverage. Under this administration, over 25m measles doses and 22m yellow fever vaccinations have been administered, alongside Africa’s first Mpox vaccine rollout. In addition, five million children have received the pentavalent vaccine, over 10m the tetanus diphtheria vaccine through the nationwide diphtheria response, and more than 1m vaccines from the @gavi funded global stockpile have supported meningitis outbreak control in northern regions. Nigeria @NigeriaGov has taken a historic step in malaria control with the introduction of its first ever malaria vaccine. As the country bearing the world’s highest malaria burden, accounting for approx. 39.3 percent of malaria related deaths among children under five, deployment of the R21 Matrix M vaccine marks a major public health milestone. With over 97 percent of Nigerians at risk, the vaccine complements existing interventions such as insecticide treated nets and seasonal malaria chemoprevention. Rollout commenced in Bayelsa and Kebbi states, with Kebbi alone targeting 179,542 children aged five to fifteen months. Nigeria received 1m doses in total, including 846,200 from Gavi and 153,800 financed by the FG, with plans for further scale up. Nigeria is no longer defined solely by disease burden but increasingly by leadership in domestic resource mobilization and global disease control efforts. In 2025, the FG committed 54m dollars in domestic resources to the global fight against TB @StopTB and emerged as the largest African contributor to @GlobalFund, as announced at the most recent G20 meeting in Johannesburg. These gains are substantive. Sustained increases in health sector financing @Fmohnigeria across all levels of govt., covering primary infrastructure, workforce development, and vaccination campaigns, have reinforced global confidence in Nigeria as a provider of solutions. A further illustration is the drive to eliminate cervical cancer. Approx. 12,000 Nigerian women are diagnosed annually, yet the disease is preventable through early HPV vaccination. Since the Oct. 2023 launch across 15 states and the FCT, over 14m eligible girls aged 9 to 14 years have been vaccinated, representing more than 90 percent coverage. These achievements reflect deliberate sectoral reform and strengthened coordination through the Sector Wide Approach @SWApGov, aligning all tiers of govt. with development partners and NGOs. Recently, formal approval was granted for an additional 68bn naira for vaccine financing and related requirements, with funds lodged at the @NPHCDA and scheduled for release. The Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu extends beyond economic reform and infrastructure investment. It is anchored in the development of the Nigerian person and the capacity of every citizen to live a healthy, productive, and dignified life. This administration remains committed to ensuring that preventable illness and avoidable death no longer constrain the full potential of the men and women who advance our nation. Thank you, and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Fellow Nigerians and friends from around the world, good day to you all. For decades, dedicated professionals in Nigeria’s health sector have risen early and returned home late, serving their fellow citizens with commitment and resilience, often in difficult conditions and with limited recognition. Under the compassionate leadership of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu @officialABAT, we acknowledge that successive governments did not always provide the enabling environment for our best talents to thrive. Longstanding commitments were poorly implemented, leading to dissatisfaction among health workers, particularly members of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives. This reality informed our deliberate approach over the past two and a half years, during which we proactively cultivated industrial harmony through constructive engagement with stakeholders, addressing both legacy and current challenges directly. Despite recent disruptions by a small segment of health workers, notably resident doctors, the overwhelming majority of Nigeria’s capable health workforce have continued to report for duty, serving our people with dedication, care, and innovation. While not all legacy challenges have been conclusively resolved, unprecedented progress has been achieved under President Tinubu’s leadership. Through transparent negotiations, the retirement age for clinically skilled health workers has been increased from 60 to 65 years. Outstanding arrears from 2023 to date have been paid, while the new hazard allowance is being processed. Over ₦10 billion owed under the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund has been fully paid. Salary relativity adjustments under CONHESS for health workers and CONMESS for doctors are being assured and institutionalized by the federal government. All other major and longstanding demands of the three main health sector union blocs are being addressed through Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations, statutorily convened by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. This process, involving union leadership and relevant government officials, is well underway, and we remain committed to concluding it to the satisfaction of health workers and the citizens they serve. Despite minor industrial distractions by a very small minority, with over 90% of demands already met, Nigerians continue to express confidence in the health workforce, and the data confirms this. In the second quarter of 2024, Nigeria recorded an average of 10 million hospital visits across all levels of care. By the second quarter of 2025, this rose to nearly 40 million visits in a single quarter, representing almost a fourfold increase. The Central Bank of Nigeria has reported a 52% reduction in foreign exchange accessed for external medical tourism since President Tinubu assumed office in 2023. At the same time, facilities nationwide are witnessing increased patronage by foreigners choosing to receive care in Nigeria. Medical tourism is steadily being reversed, while citizen perception surveys from 2023 to 2025 show rising confidence in the health system. Overall system confidence stands at 55%, confidence in the government’s ability to manage health emergencies at 67%, and patient satisfaction at 74%. As we continue building systems that serve all Nigerians regardless of status or income, we are healing a once-fractured ecosystem and restoring public trust. The progress of our health sector reflects what is possible for Nigeria: turning crisis into opportunity, transforming liabilities into assets, and placing every Nigerian at the center of our national renewal. Thank you, and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.