The Society for Quality in Healthcare in Nigeria (SQHN) has issued a powerful call for the adoption of homegrown solutions and the urgent strengthening of healthcare standards across the nation. This urgent appeal, which underscores the critical need to enhance patient safety and the overall quality of medical care, was the central theme of the Society's 2025 Annual Conference and memorial lecture.
A Conference for Change in Lagos
Held in Lagos, the event served as a tribute to the late Professors Emmanuel Adeyemo and Oyinade Elebute. The conference reinforced SQHN's enduring mission to advance healthcare quality through strategic collaboration, targeted training, and active policy engagement. A member of the SQHN Board of Trustees, Mrs. Fola Laoye, addressed the attendees, stating the Society's unwavering commitment to embedding a culture of quality within the Nigerian healthcare system.
She emphasized that improving healthcare quality is not just a professional obligation but also a profound moral responsibility. "Every patient should experience care that is safe, effective, and dignified," Laoye asserted. She further highlighted that the conference provides an essential platform for learning, collaboration, and driving meaningful innovation in how healthcare is delivered to Nigerians.
Global Support and Local Action
The event featured a keynote address by Dr. Don Berwick, the renowned co-founder of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). Dr. Berwick spoke on the shared global duty to advance healthcare quality and praised SQHN as a "gem" in Nigeria. He confirmed that IHI is prepared to support national efforts to establish standardized improvement skills for all healthcare providers in the country.
Under the theme "Reimagining Healthcare Quality in Nigeria: Local Action, Global Insight, Lasting Impact," the conference organized three pivotal panel discussions. These sessions were led by prominent figures in Nigeria's health sector and delved into critical issues:
- Quality as a fundamental pillar for achieving Universal Health Coverage.
- The crucial role of regulation in enhancing patient safety.
- The transformative impact of technology on delivering high-quality care.
SQHN's Decade-Long Mission and Future Goals
Now in its second decade of operation, SQHN continues to spearhead Nigeria's healthcare quality movement. Its work encompasses training, accreditation, standard-setting, and patient safety initiatives that are designed to reflect both international best practices and the unique realities of the Nigerian health system.
The Society pointed to persistent gaps in areas like skilled birth attendance, neonatal mortality, and health insurance coverage. The 2025 conference was strategically designed to be a catalyst for concrete action, foster new partnerships, and promote evidence-based improvements across the healthcare delivery landscape.
In a related development for community health, the women-focused fintech platform HerVest, in partnership with NemHealth, empowered women through breast cancer awareness initiatives. This two-stage program included an Instagram live session titled "Health is Wealth: Why Women Should Prioritise Routine Checkups" and a free wellness check held at the HerVest headquarters in Yaba, Lagos, where medical professionals provided guidance on self-examinations and dispelled common myths.
