From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Minister of Health, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said, on Monday, that the Federal Government, has finalized work on a document, Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), that will, expectedly, herald improved health care financing, and also strengthen the opportunity to achieve the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) target.
The Minister told journalists at a press conference in Abuja, that the compact which will be signed in Abuja, on Tuesday, is part of events to mark the 2023 UHC Day with the theme “Health for All: Time for Action”.
Prof. Pate stressed the need for different opportunity to source for domestic funds to finance the health care services in Nigeria, particularly at the Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) level, hence the development of the compact with great input from the state governments and development partners.
He said: “Achieving UHC is a political decision and Nigeria is committed to that. President Ahmed Bola Tinubu has shown his commitment to that effect through his improved budgetary allocation to the health sector in the 2024 budget.
“We expect states governments to reciprocate and complement the federal government in the funding of PHCs. Tertiary Hospitals are not left behind. They are also receiving the necessary attention needed to improve their services.
“But being an item in the concurrent list, the National Council on Health (NCH) which comprises of state commissioners of health,
at its 64th meeting in Ekiti state, deliberated and approved the sector wide approach in line with the National Health Act of 2014 which approved the creation of Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) and other systems to help improve the health care services.
“The implementation of the BHCPF has resulted in improved PHC services at several locations in the country. Currently, 8,000 PHCs are enlisted in the BHCPF. But our desire is to expand beneficiary PHCs to 17,000 PHCs in next few years. This will enable more Nigerians enjoy quality health care services at the PHCs.”
The Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Muyi Aina, explained that the NHSRII, is a policy framework that will guide the renewal of the health system.
“This is part of the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ of the government. Our commitment to the course is to ensure that Nigerians have access to basic health services at the PHCs across the country. We want to also reduce the out-of-pocket expenditure, hence the chase for a better BHCPF and health insurance that would provide that services.
“There are over 30,000 PHCs across the country even though many of them are having different kinds of challenges, ranging from insufficient manpower, commodities and other necessities,” he said.
He explained that the desire of the federal government to expand PHC accessibility in the country from one to two PHC per political ward, will be dependent on some factors that might include population, need, size and other factors that might make it necessary and important to do that.
“There also the need to train additional human resources for health and make them available at the PHCs particularly those at the remote areas,” he said.