By Iyemah David
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Tunji Alausa, has called for substantial investments to bolster over 30,000 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) nationwide.
This follows the inadequacy of the current 1% allocation to the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).
Speaking at a policy dialogue on Monday in Abuja during the 2023 Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day commemoration, Alausa emphasised the urgent need for increased funding.
He proposed a sector-wide approach, urging multilateral and bilateral agencies to invest in the Basic Healthcare Provision.
“This strategic move aims to transform the funding structure of PHCs, fostering improved health indices within one to two years,” he said.
The Executive Director, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Muyi Aina, said that the agency was committed to ensuring that every ward in the country has fully functional PHC, equipped with a skilled workforce, necessary tools, and reliable access to electricity.
Dr Aina shared plans of the agency in the next four years, saying that the agency would also prioritise the quality of care, actively listen to the people on the field, and rely on partnerships with stakeholders.
Dr Chris Isokpunwu, Director of Health Planning, Research and Statistics at the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), highlighted the persistently low government spending on the country’s healthcare.
Advocating for the Basic Healthcare Provision Sector-Wide Approach, Isokpunwu emphasized collaborative resource pooling among partners to enhance the quality and accessibility of health services.
He noted that Federal Health Budgets constitute only a fraction of the government’s healthcare expenditure, which is less than 15 per cent when combined with other government sectors.
He warned that this could lead to inefficiencies and duplications.
Achieving progress in key health areas such as antenatal coverage and skilled birth attendance requires departing from traditional “business-as-usual” models.
Other key areas are stunting/wasting, adolescent birth rate, zero dose children, Pent-a 3 coverage, percentage of children 0-12 months fully immunised, health insurance coverage, and patient satisfaction with Primary Health Care (PHC) services.
He stressed the importance of social accountability, citizens’ engagement, medical industrialisation, and the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Programme.
The programme includes BHCPF, which integrates financing and private sector involvement, prioritising a Sector-Wide Approach for the BHCPF with a focus on data and digital health.
He outlined additional components, including Industrialisation Fund for decentralised facility financing, the Vulnerable Group Fund addressing specific healthcare needs, and extending to secondary, tertiary, and quaternary care.
“The programme also encompasses a Medical and Public Health Emergencies Fund, with public health measures enhanced through community-based service delivery, covering commodities, governance and human resources for health.
“The overall initiative integrates the BHC provision sector-wide approach and the Healthcare Industrialization programme, utilising a sector-wide approach to pool available funds, while the Nigeria Healthcare Industrialisation Fund dedicates resources to drive investment in the healthcare value chain,” he said.
In her opening remarks, Mrs Moji Makanjuola, Chair of the Nigeria UHC Forum, emphasised the potential for the country to lead not only in confronting pandemics but also in making accelerated progress towards UHC.
Makanjuola urged the deployment of the same energy and commitment applied to pandemics for translating knowledge, recommendations, and policies into action.
She highlighted the need to mobilise additional resources and set Nigeria on the UHC trajectory.
