A Non-Governmental Organisation in Nigeria known as ONE has launched the state of Primary Health care Service Delivery in Nigeria report.
The report is to review the implementation of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, (BHCPF) by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), and the National Emergency Medical Treatment (NEMT) gateways.
It is also to evaluate states based on enabling legal and policy environments for health and health planning; health financing; human resources; health products and technologies; health management information systems; service delivery and community involvement as well as to rank the system of State healthcare service delivery readiness and implementation, and to recommend solutions to increase utilisation of BHCPF at the State level.
Speaking at the launch on the overview of the ONE’s Make Naija Stronger Campaign, the Africa Executive Director ONE, Edwin Ikhuoria said that it was great to see collaboration happen and the make Naija stronger campaign is a testament that when Partners come together, they can make things happen.
“A long time ago, since 2001 or 2002, there was a broad movement, a desire to see the health system change in Nigeria and all kinds of interventions have happened in this period, all kinds of things have taken place, the indices, the Health outcome for Nigeria was terrible across all standards. And so many Advocates came together supported by Development Partners to start a campaign to what is called the National Health act”. He said.
Mr. Ikhuoria also said it took ten years of advocacy of serious collaborations to bring together and eventually by the 10th, or the 11th year in 2014, the National Health Act was passed by the National Assembly first and then was signed into law at the last days of president Jonathan’s administration.
He noted that when that happened, it looks then, it was put forward like this was what they needed, a legal framework to make sure that the funding system for health in Nigeria began to work.
“It didn’t happen in 2016 and 2017, we talked and begged and pleaded and appeal stakeholders and created all kinds of compelling evidence for why this has to happen. It was beginning to look like, is this ever going to happen? but I called my colleagues and, with coordination of young people, with Market women with other CSOs rules within NMA with all the stakeholders came together lobbying members of the National Assembly, we continue to pressure and in 2018, monies were released, So our work is to keep monitoring how the funds is being used” He added.
While unveiling the report, the chairman, Senate committee on Health, Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe used the opportunity to urge stakeholders to advocate for more funding for the health sector to help increase their progress as many Nigerians still have a problem accessing primary health care.
“The final remark I want to make, we have great opportunity at this time when this report is coming out, this is a transition time, a political time, how do we use this to bring out part of the agenda, we have 18 parties and so having their presidential candidates, lets demand what they want to do in the health sector, especially primary health care in Nigeria, are they committed to the BHCPF and use that to measure them”. He said.
Awards
At the end of the launch, some state were given awards based on the performance in Primary Health Care Delivery, the states were Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Enugu state, Anambra state, Ekiti state and Delta state with the fifth position.
ONE is a global movement campaigning to end extreme poverty and preventable disease by 2030, so that everyone everywhere can lead a life of dignity and opportunity.
ONE as an advocacy tool and measure of States’ progress, National Advocates for Health, Nigeria Health Watch, Public & Private Development Centre (PPDC) and other partners have developed a report reviewing implementation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
Olusola Akintonde
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