Advocacy group seeks greater accountability and transparency in Nigeria’s Health Sector

An Advocacy group, the Health Anticorruption Policy Advisory Committee (HAPAC), has called for greater accountability and transparency in Nigeria’s health sector, for optimum service delivery. The call came during a two-day advisory meeting of HAPAC in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city.

In an exclusive interview with Voice of Nigeria, Coordinator of the Health Policy Research Group and initiator of HAPAC, Professor Obinna Onwujekwe of the University of Nigeria, UNN, says “HAPAC has membership across very eminent Nigerians who are interested in strengthening the health system, and they can get this job done of really making the issue of corruption in the health sector very well known’’.

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He cited the desire to provide support for researchers generating evidence on malpractices in the health sector, as the primary motivation for conceptualizing HAPAC, because the evidence generated from these types of research “can be translated into policy and practice”, to boost service delivery in Nigeria’s health sector.

Highlighting the significance of the recent Advisory Committee meeting of HAPAC in Abuja, Professor Obinna Onwujekwe says “The objective was to bring HAPAC members up to date with recent evidence that have been generated within the health sector, and for them to internalize it and come up with action points. And because the first meeting of HAPAC was virtual, another objective was for members to meet themselves and fashion a proper structure and mode of working. So that’s why we are here . The third one is for the HAPAC to also give directions to researchers on key priority areas for research, and some key priority areas for policy intervention for reducing corruption in the health sector” he says.

Speaking of corruption, Professor Obinna says it is often misunderstood when the notion of corruption in the health sector is raised, asserting, however, that the concept goes beyond just financial malpractice.

“There are many forms of corruption in the health sector. Most times people will think more about financial corruption, that people have embezzled money….but it’s more than that. Sometimes absenteeism is a type of corruption. When you don’t go to work, or you don’t go to work early. Because as you know, corruption is defined as the abuse of entrusted power for your private gain. When you don’t go to work early, people are going to die, people won’t receive services. So, there are many types of corruption in the system and they are affecting progress”.

Despite these obvious challenges, Professor Obinna remains strongly optimistic that things will improve, especially judging by the level of commitment so far demonstrated by Nigeria’s Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate. Therefore, Professor Obinna says “We are hopeful that things will improve, especially with the new Minister. If you look at his plan, he mentioned the issue of accountability and anticorruption, that he needs to get the system more accountable and reduce corruption, so we are hopeful. I think this is the first time that the issue of corruption and accountability has come out as a policy statement by a Minister. So, we are hopeful’’, he concludes.

In recognition of the role of religious and traditional institutions in Nigeria, HAPAC Advisory Committee member, Ekanem Braide; a Professor of Parasitology and Epidemiology calls on the group to seek the involvement of religious and traditional institutions in the fight against corruption in the health sector. Professor Braide, who is the current President of the Nigerian Academy of Science suggests that “The group should invite religious and traditional leaders to the dissemination workshop………….so that they understand what corruption is doing to the system………so they know where they can play a part”.

Whereas the ultimate goal of the Health Anticorruption Policy Advisory Committee, HAPAC is to work towards strengthening healthcare service delivery in Nigeria, by addressing fundamental issues bedeviling the health sector, the group is nevertheless adopting a softly-softly approach, beginning with the gathering of evidence. Dr. Idris Muhammad, Chairman of HAPAC and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Health Reform Foundation of Nigeria, HERFON, speaks on this strategy.

“Wanting to change people’s perception or people’s conduct, you must find a way of bringing it softly. So, there’s what you call evidence generation…so what we are doing now, we are generating evidence. So that when we come to talk, we are not just talking out of our head, we are talking of the practical things that have been observed, not only here in Nigeria but even outside Nigeria, and the impact it has or they have had on the healthcare delivery system”.

According to Dr. Idris, HAPAC’s agenda in engendering transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s health sector also includes building a broad-based partnership with critical stakeholders. This, he says, is necessary for the group to achieve maximum results.

“To address the issues we have raised, we have in the plan what we call policy dialogue, where we are going to be talking to major stakeholders including the Honourable Ministers, Honourable Commissioners for health, and even the Governors…………. Yes, certainly we have this as part of our agenda and of course, it’s a long process and it’s a long-term thing. But the good thing is that we now have evidence” Dr. Idris adds.