The Institute of Health Service Administrators of Nigeria (IHSAN) has called on Nigerian Government to allocate 15 percent of the country’s annual budget to the health sector in line with the 2001 African Union (AU) agreement on healthcare financing.
Known as the ‘Abuja Declaration’, African Union member states had committed to allocating 15 percent of their government budget to health as part of efforts to address pressing challenges such as HIV and AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis and achieve universal health coverage by 2030.
During an interview with journalists in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, southern Nigeria, the National President of the Institute, Pastor Rosemary Archibong stated that the health sector should be given adequate attention due to its potential to foster human capital development, curb poverty and enhance national productivity.
Mrs. Archibong, who said she recently attended a professional development workshop for Health Service Administrators in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, stated that the theme of the event “Modernizing Health Care for Better Care, Better Health and Lower Costs” emphasized increased financing of the sector.
According to the first female national president of IHSAN, the institute in a communique urged the Nigerian Government to “prioritize the health sector, promote equity in professional diversity among health workers and expand the scope of the National Health Insurance Authority to provide cover for every citizen.”
The communique, which was jointly signed by Archibong and the National Secretary, Mr. Harrison Etim, also called for “the implementation with close monitoring and evaluation of the basic health care provision fund, ensure close monitoring of the Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO) especially in prompt and bulk payment of capitation and fee for service claims as well as ensure that the National Health Insurance Authority works on review of the amount paid as capitation to healthcare providers.”
The institute further agreed that “federal government should ensure regular training for healthcare managers to encourage digital biometrics membership registration; ensure implementation of Health Trust Fund policy; improve infrastructures and logistics across health institutions and promote the appropriate use of digital technologies in healthcare management as well as create enabling environment for private sector to participate in healthcare delivery.
While expressing the hope that the Nigerian Government would adopt and implement its recommendations, the institute congratulated the Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his assumption of office as the 16th President and Commander-in-Chief of Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The institute also applauded the appointment of one of its own, Dr. Salma Ibrahim Anas as the Special Adviser on Health.
