By Muhammad Amaan
A coalition of CSOs, under the auspices of the Health Sector Reform Coalition Nigeria (HSRC) have called on the Federal Government to increase the vote for the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) beyond the 1% Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) which is the statutory minimum.
In a statement issued to newsmen and obtained by the Health Reporters Newspaper, the organisation said Nigeria’s poor health indicators demand not less than 2% due to the emergency at hand.
“The vote to the BHCPF should be further increased beyond the 1% Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) which is the statutory minimum. Nigeria’s poor health indicators demand not less than 2% due to the emergency at hand.
“Furthermore, the BHCPF should be clearly and unequivocally stated as a statutory transfer – as a first line charge. The whole appropriated sum should be fully released,” the statement said.
They also called for the kickstart of the compulsory health insurance regime of the National Health Insurance Authority Act (NHIAA), to include votes for education, sensitization and enforcement action.
The HSRC also observed that the total allocation of N64,006,645,050 given to the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) seems paltry, “considering that PHC is the first level of contact for citizens and the community within the national health system.”
The statement also commented on the N253.5 billion for GAVI/Immunisation and of N7.4 billion for Counterpart Funding of Global Fund provided in Service Wide Votes.
“Considering Nigeria’s relatively high rates of infant/child mortality, maternal mortality and morbidity rates, budget votes based on a costed MNCH policy interventions would better respond to the crisis in the sector,” it added.
They added that considering the foundational nature of primary health care, the vote to the National Primary Health Care Development Agency and other programmes related to PHC should be increased to not less than 60% of the overall health vote.
“The budget should meet and exceed the funding requirements of the Nigerian Family Planning Commitment. This is anchored on the recent donor closures and withdrawals. At a minimum, there is a funding gap of not less than N21.493 billion necessary for family planning.”
The HSRC also called to meet the demands of nutrition post the NSPAN 2021-2025, a funding gap of N258bn needs to be filled in the appropriation.
The statement further stated that the programme of not less than 50 per cent of the proceeds of all sin taxes and levies to fill the funding gaps in the health sector.
“There is no denying the fact that Nigeria’s health system is under severe fiscal strains: government health expenditure has been persistently below 5% of the national budget; well beneath the 15% commitment of the 2001 Abuja Continental Declaration; out-of-pocket payments (OOPs) account for over 70% of total health expenditure, exposing millions of Nigerians to catastrophic health spending and deepening inequality and poverty; less than 20% of the population is enrolled in any form of health insurance, leaving the vast majority without financial protection or access to timely care.
“Nigeria is struggling needlessly to fund essential health services, including immunization which is at the heart of Primary Healthcare, even as experience has shown, the BHCPF which has become the anchor for driving health reforms across Nigeria, its itself insufficient to take us to the Universal Health Coverage.
“Even amid poor funding, yet ironically millions of dollars in health tourism spending leave the shore on Nigeria annually because of the parlor state of our health institutions and other related deficits. For access to higher levels of care, millions of Naira are annually leaving the country.”
