ICRC, NMA raise concerns over attacks on health workers

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), on Thursday, expressed concerns over persistent and rising violence against health workers and medical facilities across Nigeria.

The two organizations submitted that it is crucial to strengthen structured incident reporting and enhance the protection of healthcare delivery, adding that their life-saving profession is very important.

Daily Trust reports that many health workers including medical doctors have always downed tools in their respective workplaces over unmet demands by the federal government as well as abduction of their colleagues.

Speaking at the sensitisation and data engagement meeting that was held in Abuja on Thursday, the Deputy Head of Delegation of the ICRC, James Matthews, said the collaboration marks another concrete step toward safeguarding healthcare nationwide.

Matthews explained that the two organizations have intensified efforts to tackle the rising violence against health workers and medical facilities across Nigeria.

He noted that many incidents affecting hospitals and medical personnel remain undocumented, weakening national response and limiting the ability to advocate effectively for solutions.

“We are pleased to convene this important engagement, which marks another concrete step in our partnership with the NMA to strengthen the protection of healthcare across Nigeria.

“Every day, health professionals and facilities are confronted with incidents that hinder their ability to deliver life-saving services,” the ICRC boss said.

He noted that reliable data is essential for generating stronger analysis and evidence-based action at national and state levels.

According to him, securing healthcare is not just a technical exercise but a vital commitment to protecting patients, medical workers and the integrity of health services.

Matthews added, “Yet far too many of these incidents remain undocumented, limiting our collective ability to respond, advocate, and bring about lasting improvements.

“Today’s meeting aims to build a unified and systematic approach to reporting violence against healthcare, enabling reliable data, stronger analysis, and evidence-based action at national and state levels.”

Representing the NMA President, Dr. Ushakuma Anenga, commended the ICRC for sustaining its collaboration with the Association.

He said health workers continue to face intimidation, disruptions, assaults and attacks—incidents more prevalent in the northern part of the country—which threaten service delivery and place medical personnel at risk.

Dr. Anenga emphasised that the Healthcare in Danger (HCiD) data system provides an objective method for capturing incidents on the ground.

He described NMA Branch Secretaries as the “engine room” of the Association and urged them to demonstrate commitment through timely documentation, validation and submission of reports from their states.

In his remark, the Secretary-General of the NMA, Dr. Ben Egbo, highlighted the increasing cases of violence against health workers nationwide.

He cited the recent assault on a female medical doctor in Yobe State, which triggered a strike by doctors and an ongoing court process against the perpetrator.

Dr. Egbo stressed that the lack of harmonised national statistics has made it difficult to convince policymakers of the scale of the problem.

He said the new reporting system is therefore essential for providing credible, structured evidence to support advocacy and strengthen accountability.

He assured that all reports from the states will be channlled to his office, supported by NMA secretariat staff for proper data collation.

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