By Ndidi Chukwu
The Global Financing Facility (GFF) has approved $20 million as grant to Nigeria to improve Reproductive Maternal Neonatal Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) programs in the North-eastern part of the country.
The grant covers half of the $40 million to be accessed by the Federal Government to be used in addressing preventable deaths, while improving the health of women, children and adolescents in the region.
This was disclosed in Abuja, during the Nigerian Service Delivery Innovation Challenge (NSDIC) Showcase.
The NSDIC is a platform, which brings Stakeholders, Public and Private Sector to brainstorm on how to support the Global Financing Facility for every woman and every child in Nigeria.
Dr. Oluwole Odutolu
Senior Health Specialist at the World Bank, Dr. Oluwole Odutolu while addressing participants at the event noted that, the GFF works to support countries in the transition towards sustainable domestic financing of RMNCAH.
He said the remaining $20 million will be made available to the Nigerian Government upon completion of finding out innovative ways to make investments for reproductive health intervention.
“The development objective of the Additional Financing is to increase the delivery and use of high impact maternal and child health interventions and improve quality of care at selected health facilities in the participating states”, he said.
Speaking further, the Minister of State for Health, Dr .Osagie Ehanire said the continuous poor health indices of the country, which is made worst by insurgent activities in the north east calls for quick and strategic interventions.
Similarly, the Minister of Industry Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah said it is high time Nigeria looked inward for accelerated development in the health sector.
