Over 2,000 Community Health Practitioners Gather in Minna for 2025 Scientific Conference as FG Moves to Strengthen Primary Healthcare Nationwide

About two thousand Community Health Practitioners from across Nigeria have converged on Minna, Niger State, for the 2025 National Scientific Conference.

Speaking at the opening of the five-day event, the National President of the Association of Community Health Practitioners of Nigeria (ACHPN), Dr. Kabir Yahaya Ahmed, said the conference serves as a platform to develop actionable frameworks aimed at redefining service delivery for the better.

The theme of the conference is “Unravelling the Intersections and Bridging the Gap: Community Approaches to Mental Health and Systemic Illness.”

Organized by the Association of Community Health Practitioners of Nigeria, the five-day conference is designed to enhance the knowledge and capacity of community health workers who serve as vital links between local communities and the formal health system.

Dr. Kabir Yahaya Ahmed noted that regular interactions such as the conference are essential for updating members’ knowledge, given the current realities in the health sector. He added that sustained efforts have fostered a new culture of dialogue, transparency, and collaboration to safeguard the future of the profession.

He also paid glowing tribute to individuals who contributed to sustaining the practice of community health in Nigeria, particularly former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, whose administration institutionalized the Community Health profession as a critical component of the healthcare system.

Speaking on the conference theme, the Coordinating Minister of Health, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, described the rate of mental health challenges among Nigerians as worrisome. Represented by his Technical Assistant, Dr. Ashiru Adamu Abubakar, the Minister revealed that about 30 percent of Nigerians experience mental health conditions at some point in their lives, while one in every four lives with some form of mental illness—yet only about ten percent receive medical attention.

To address the situation, Prof. Pate said the Federal Ministry of Health has begun repositioning the Primary Health Care (PHC) system to improve access to healthcare services nationwide. He explained that the Ministry is partnering with State Governments through Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to recruit about five thousand frontline health workers into the civil service to bridge human resource gaps.

“The President is doing a lot, but we need collective responsibility from communities, stakeholders, and training institutions to move forward,” he added.

In his presentation, the Registrar of the Community Health Practitioners Registration Board of Nigeria, Dr. Bashir Idris, urged practitioners to embrace technology, enhance their knowledge, and perform their duties diligently. He disclosed that the curriculum for community health practitioners has been reviewed to improve patient care and facilitate appropriate referrals to higher health facilities.

“They can refer patients to secondary or tertiary facilities where such cases can be properly handled, because there are some conditions our members cannot address,” he noted.

Dr. Idris also expressed optimism that improved training would strengthen areas such as antenatal counseling, which often influence mental health but are frequently neglected.

A major highlight of the event was the presentation of awards to deserving members and other individuals for their outstanding contributions to community healthcare in Nigeria.