The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Muhammad Pate, has announced that N45 billion has been disbursed directly to Primary Healthcare Centres across the country through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund.
Pate made this announcement on Wednesday at the ongoing three-day Nigeria Health Sector-Wide Joint Annual Review in Abuja, themed “It’s for all of us: Accelerating our health sector reforms together.”
“The Basic Health Care Provision Fund 2.0 reform uses equity considerations in distributing financial and human resources to over 8,000 primary healthcare centres through direct facilities. N45bn has already been disbursed directly to the states to serve our population, “ he said.
Additional funds and facility upgrades
According to him, we have mobilized more than N3bn in complementary funding over the past three years, including N2.1bn that has been confirmed over time, which will complement the Federal Government’s efforts.
“In the last year, several facilities have already been revitalized, and 2,600 are currently in the late stages of being upgraded through the states. Additionally, two thousand more facilities will be revitalized as part of this effort,” he added.
Highlighting the administration’s commitment to strengthening the health workforce, Pate announced a target to retrain 120,000 frontline health workers, with over 40,000 already undergone retraining, and we are on track to meet and exceed the target.
He also noted substantial progress in reducing infectious diseases, citing a 40 percent drop in diarrhea diseases, a 24 percent decrease in tuberculosis, and a 12 percent reduction in HIV infections.
Advances in health security and local investment
Highlighting Nigeria’s health security gains, Pate noted that Nigeria’s health security is also making progress, and based on a survey conducted, the perception of Nigerians has improved.
“About half of Nigerians have endorsed the trajectory of Nigeria’s health system under the President’s leadership, and more than half are confident in the government’s capacity to effectively manage health emergencies.”
“With this political commitment, we can accelerate our efforts in the right direction. Seventeen states have already shown improved performance on modern contraceptives, and six have already doubled their efforts.”
“Following the executive order signed by the President, at least 40 businesses have submitted business cases to invest in local manufacturing. We’ve signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Afreximbank for a billion-dollar credit line.”
Call for collective effort in reducing mortality rates
Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, representing the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, expressed concern that, despite efforts to lower under-five and infant mortality rates, the numbers remain alarmingly high.
“Although there have been some positive shifts in health indicators, especially regarding under-five and infant mortality rates, these figures are still unacceptably high. Additionally, neonatal mortality and malnutrition rates have worsened, underscoring the urgency of our mission,” he stated.
- Uzodinma emphasized the importance of collective action, acknowledging the distinct challenges each state faces while urging all stakeholders to stay focused on achieving improved health outcomes for Nigerians. He commended the Minister of Health for his ongoing commitment to making the sector compact a reality.
- He also noted that recent engagements across all 36 states have helped align key stakeholders with the sector’s priorities, ensuring they understand their roles in the broader health reform process.
Reaffirming the Nigeria Governors’ Forum’s commitment to the health sector compact, Uzodinma reiterated the Forum’s dedication to advancing healthcare improvements nationwide.
