PSP-One holds Private Health Sector Trade Fair in Lagos, Nigeria

On August 15, 2008, the Abt Associates-led PSP-One project, in collaboration with local partners in Nigeria organized Nigeria’s first ever private sector trade fair. Themed “Growth and Sustainability of Private Health Providers,” the trade fair was actively supported by the Health and Managed Care Association of Nigeria (HMCAN), the Nigeria Private Nurses and Midwives Association, the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, and the Guild of Medical Directors of Nigeria.

Specific objectives of the PSP-One project in Nigeria are to scale up family planning and reproductive health services provided through Nigerian Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs). One major component of PSP-One’s work is creating linkages between financial institutions and private health providers to increase access to finance for private health providers leading to the growth of their private practices. Training has also been delivered to private providers in learning how to manage private health practices differently with more clients enrolled in HMOs and providing technical updates in key preventive care areas including family planning, malaria, nutrition and routine immunization. Another training program focuses on providing financial management training to private providers.

The trade fair was attended by 492 participants and featured an exhibit hall where exhibitors displayed their products and services for the health sector. Among the exhibitors were banks and financial institutions interested in lending to private medical providers, as well as medical equipment suppliers, pharmaceutical suppliers, and distributors. Participants had ample time to interact with exhibitors and to learn how to access those products and services that will benefit their businesses.