The Federal Government has called for substantial investments to fortify over 30,000 primary healthcare centres (PHCs) nationwide, to address the significant challenges posed by the current one per cent allocation to the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Tunji Alausa made this call during a policy dialogue held in Abuja as part of the 2023 Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day commemoration.
Expressing the urgency for enhanced funding, Alausa proposed a sector-wide approach, urging multilateral and bilateral agencies to invest significantly in the basic healthcare provision. The objective of this strategic move is to transform the funding structure of PHCs, aiming for improved health indices within the next one to two years.
In alignment with this vision, the executive director of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Muyi Aina affirmed the agency’s commitment to ensuring that every ward in the country possesses fully functional PHCs equipped with skilled personnel, necessary tools, and reliable access to electricity. Aina outlined the agency’s plans for the next four years, emphasising the prioritisation of quality care, active engagement with communities and partnerships with stakeholders.
The director of health planning, research and statistics at the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), Dr. Chris Isokpunwu highlighted the persistent low government spending on healthcare in the country. Advocating for the basic healthcare provision sector-wide approach, Isokpunwu underscored the need for collaborative resource pooling among partners to enhance the quality and accessibility of health services.
Isokpunwu pointed out that federal health budgets constitute only a fraction of the government’s healthcare expenditure, less than 15 per cent when combined with other government sectors. This dispersed spending leads to inefficiencies and duplications, he cautioned.
To achieve progress in key health areas such as antenatal coverage, skilled birth attendance and immunisation coverage, Isokpunwu stressed the importance of departing from traditional models. He advocated for social accountability, citizen engagement, medical industrialisation and the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Programme (NHSRIP), including the BHCPF.
The comprehensive programme integrates financing and private sector involvement, focusing on a sector-wide approach for the BHCPF with an emphasis on data and digital health. Additional components include the NGR Industrialisation Fund, the Vulnerable Group Fund and extending support to secondary, tertiary and quaternary care. The programme also encompasses a medical and public health emergencies’ fund, enhancing public health measures through community-based service delivery.
During the 2023 UHC Policy Dialogue, the chair of the Nigeria UHC Forum, Mrs. Moji Makanjuola stressed the potential for the country to lead in making accelerated progress towards UHC. She called for the deployment of energy and commitment, similar to that applied to pandemics, for translating knowledge, recommendations, and policies into action. Makanjuola emphasised the need to mobilise additional resources and set Nigeria on the UHC trajectory while spending better and maintaining accountability.
The co-convener of the UHC2023 Forum, Dr. Garfa Alawode, highlighted the imperative of optimising available funds, establishing mechanisms to identify and address inefficiencies and ensuring the effective utilisation of the country’s limited resources.
The president of the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria, Dr. Pamela Ajayi emphasised the need for public-private integration in the country’s health system. The executive director of the Development Research and Projects Centre, Dr. Judith-Ann Walker underscored the importance of information-sharing and mobilising civil society organisations (CSOs) to engage and educate citizens.
