PharmAccess Foundation has developed an online health information platform for all Nigerians called Kulawa.ng. Kulawa empowers Nigerians with accurate, reliable, and relevant health information so they can take better control of their health. The platform is specifically tailored to best meet local needs for health, healthcare, and health financing information.
Kulawa.ng is designed, developed, and maintained by PharmAccess Nigeria in partnership with the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Rutgers International (a Netherlands-based NGO active in sexual and reproductive health), and the Achmea Foundation (the charitable arm of the Dutch insurance group). The platform is poised to become the go-to place for health-related information for Nigerians.
Kulawa.ng was officially launched on Wednesday the 8th of December 2021 at 2 pm (WAT). The event took place through Zoom video conferencing with speakers from the public health sector and representatives of national health associations, the Dutch foreign ministry, civil service organizations, private sector organizations, and members of the Nigerian press.
Speaking about the platform, the Country Director of PharmAccess Nigeria, Ms. Njide Ndili, said that in many other parts of the world people are flocking to online health information platforms for information and support about their health. Kulawa.ng will help Nigerians to gain knowledge and insights that will help them with their health and healthcare questions and improve their ability to take decisions accordingly.
“One of PharmAccess Foundation’s objectives is to make health access available to everyone and this is just one of our initiatives to achieve that objective. As we know, a lot of people seek medical information online, especially young people.
This is a platform that is primarily tailored to meet the needs of Nigerians. The website is very user-friendly and easy to navigate so I must say thank you to the team that developed it, the sponsors, and the content producers” Njide said.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary/CEO of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof. Mohammed Nasir Sambo commended PharmAccess Foundation for the initiative stating that it will help to foster health education and health management in Nigeria.
Prof. Sambo who was represented by the General Manager, Special Duties of NHIS, Mr. Ayo Osinlu, further expressed optimism about how Kulawa can increase healthcare knowledge among Nigerians and help people make healthy choices.
Giving his remarks on the initiative, the Consul-General of the Netherlands Consulate in Lagos, His Excellency, Mr. Michel Deelen said what is most outstanding about the platform is the reliability of the information on it. Speaking on the dangers of fake health news, His Excellency said that Kulawa “plays an important role” in arming people with accurate medical information relevant to their health.
Throwing his weight behind the platform, the Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Lagos state chapter, Dr. Adetunji Adenekan, disclosed that the association was delighted to be fully involved in the development of Kulawa.
PharmAccess Foundation is an entrepreneurial organization focused on making health markets work through digital innovations. We address both the demand and supply sides of the healthcare system to improve the access to quality, affordable healthcare for Nigerians.