- Commits $2m to Nigeria’s basic healthcare fund
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have upbraided federal government’s funding of healthcare system in the country urging that more resources be channelled to the tertiary and secondary health levels.
While annual healthcare provision for an individual in the United States is $10,000, it is a mere $6 in Nigeria. Only four percent of Nigeria’s budget is designated for health.
Speaking through its Nigeria Country Officer, Dr Paulin Basinga, the foundation noted that though the 2014 National Health Act requires one per cent of the nation’s consolidated revenue to be channelled toward basic healthcare provision fund that would guarantee access to health by all, the policy has not been implemented.
He said there was need to build a stronger PHC system in the country to ensure preventive and curative measures of diseases at the community levels.
Dr Basinga then urged government to make strategic legislations towards funding Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
“Through this legislation, funding priority will be geared toward revitalisation of primary healthcare system thereby reducing the nation’s disease burden and death rate. If the nation has strong primary healthcare system, the health needs of 90 per cent of Nigerians will be addressed.”
Basinga in the meantime disclosed that the foundation has committed two million dollars to Nigerian’s Basic Health Care Provision Funds to fast-track implementation by the government toward the realisation of UHC.
He made the disclosure on Wednesday in Abuja during a visit by officials of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS).The group made a study tour on the foundation and Development Research and Project Centre (dRPC) which is under the Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health (PACFaH) @scale project.
The money according to Basinga was donated as a strategy that would allow money to flow from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) account down to primary health care facilities.
He further noted that the organisation has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government to enable it meet its commitment of buying vaccines among other consumables that would drive UHC.
Likewise, he identified funding as a major gap in the realisation of UHC.
“We are excited in this journey toward UHC and we have been stirring the government to build a stronger PHC system through improved funding among others so that the UHC can be a reality,’’ he said.
Basinga identified the six building blocks of UHC as financing, facilities, human resources, commodities, religious and community leaders as well as data.
He emphasised that in order to drive UHC there was need for facilities to be situated in places where they can easily be accessed by all the pregnant women and children, among others, without hitches.
Moreover, he emphasised, the commodity must be readily available at all times; like the test kits and treatment for malaria and typhoid, among other diseases.
Stressing that the capacity of health workers at health facilities must be built to adequately meet the health needs of the populace, he also called for collaborative efforts by philanthropists, civil society organisations, individuals and policy makers to ensure realisation of UHC to guaranty accessible, affordable and quality healthcare services for all irrespective of status.
