The federal authorities has reaffirmed its dedication to reaching Common Well being Protection (UHC) by prioritising equitable healthcare entry and lowering monetary hardship for residents.
Coordinating Minister of Well being and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, acknowledged this at a press briefing to mark the 2024 Common Well being Protection Day, themed: “Well being on the Home Authorities.” in Abuja.
Reflecting on the strides made because the launch of the Nigeria Well being Sector Renewal Funding Initiative (NHSRII) a 12 months in the past, the minister highlighted key achievements aimed toward addressing longstanding challenges within the nation’s well being sector.
He outlined the challenges confronting the sector, together with insufficient financing, poor governance, fragmented coordination, and inefficiencies in growth help.
To handle these, Prof. Pate stated that the federal government has carried out a four-pillar Well being Sector Strategic Blueprint aimed toward strengthening governance, enhancing well being outcomes, unlocking the healthcare worth chain, and bolstering well being safety and resilience.
He stated that the important thing initiatives embrace the Presidential Initiative to unlock the healthcare worth chain, which seeks to extend home manufacturing of well being merchandise, improve job creation, and scale back outbound medical tourism.
He outlined vital enhancements, together with a 16.7 p.c discount in under-five mortality (from 132 per 1,000 stay births in 2018 to 110 in 2023), and substantial declines in infectious illnesses corresponding to diarrhea (40%), tuberculosis (24%), and HIV/AIDS (12%).
On the necessity to shift healthcare prices from households to authorities, the minister famous that the most recent Nationwide Well being Account information revealed that Nigerians bear over $70 per capital in healthcare prices, with solely $15.5 per capital funded by the federal government.
“We should switch dangers and monetary burdens from people to governments and their schemes,” Prof. Pate emphasised.
The minister additionally stated that ₦45.9 billion was disbursed by the Primary Well being Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) in 2024, including that the funding helps healthcare amenities and weak teams nationwide.
“By way of the BHCPF, ₦45.9BN has been disbursed by direct financing to amenities already this 12 months. The Fairness funds by State Governments help take care of its indigenes who’re most in want. These funds complement the social sector interventions focusing on these teams,” Prof. Pate acknowledged.
