PHC would help Nigeria attain the UHC to 80% of the country’s population.
At the official inauguration of the Primary Health Care (PHC) Leadership Challenge that was held on August 17, 2022, at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja, the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, revealed that the President, His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari, has authorized the establishment of three more orthopedic hospitals across the country. He added that these orthopedic hospitals are situated, one per geo-political zone, in the North-east, the North-central, and the South-south; Benin, Jos, and Jalingo respectively.
In regards to the PHC fund, Jeremie Zoungrana, Country Director of Bill and Belinda Gates Foundation, at the meeting, stated that the PHC Challenge Fund stands out as an opportunity to encourage and publicly give recognition to ownership and leadership at the subnational level. Also, to support the NGF in building accountability at the Governor level, aid improved performance management and enable the enhancement of critical areas in PHC, the PHC health indicators would be tracked. The challenge fund will additionally boost other BMGF investments that aim at ensuring the improvement of state level data ownership, analysis, quality, and use.
FG has disbursed N471.9B to states, according to SFTAS program.
Hajia Zainab Ahmed, at the inauguration organized by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), affirmed that so far, an aggregate sum of N471B has been disbursed by the Federal Government of the federation in form of grant to states, as stated under the 1.5B dollars World Bank-Assisted States Fiscal Transparency Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) Program. It was further said that asides the benefits that was derived from the grant, every state in the federation domesticated the fiscal reforms in their public financial management system.
The Governor of Ekiti State and NGF’s Chairman, Kayode Fayemi, in his comment at the event, appreciated the commitment of governors towards the building of a resilient Primary Health Care System. The Primary Health Care (PHC), according to him, focuses at addressing the bottlenecks in the system, as it strives to ensure a strongly built public health care system. In his words, NGF have convened a roundtable for November 12 and 13, 2022, in Seattle, USA, to discuss the development agenda of the states’ government regarding immunization, PHC, and human capital development.
PHC will expand the attainment of UHC to 80% population.
The PHC Challenge fund, being the culmination of the Seattle Declaration which rephrases the commitments of the NGF towards strengthening leadership and accountability for the PHC system, at the state level, proves that PHC is capable of expanding the attainment of Universal Health Coverage to about 80 percent of the Nigerian population. Also, polio eradication, although already done in the past, will likely be done again to strengthen primary health care system, with experience from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The chairman of the NGF said that the NGF assert its commitment in strengthening the primary health care system across the country, following the induction to the Seattle Declaration by the governors of the 36 Nigerian states in November 2019. The declaration includes the improvement of the governance of the primary health care system as a sub national level, through the full implementation of the primary health care under one roof policy; the provision of sound leadership for primary health care through frequent engagement with relevant stakeholders; and quarterly PHC performance review at meetings of the State Executive Council meetings.
NGF would promote a progressive increase in PHC funding.
The declaration also entails the recruitment of essential health workforce to guarantee that all PHC systems have the minimum staffing requirements suitable for their level, in accordance with the state’s minimum service package; promoting progressive increase in PHC funding while ensuring efficient budget in alignment with annual operational plans; ensuring there is a mechanism for the provision of better health care, fund implementation, and oversight at the state and facility levels; and instituting a culture of use of evidence for decision making.
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It is a good thing the primary health cares are getting support from the Federal Government. The health centers needed funds to help manage and organize their health system. With this in place, they will be able to administer their work to maximum capacity and in the interest of the populace.
The federal government supporting the primary health it is a good things so it can be well organize and provide what is needed to make it standard and perform well in taking care of the health of people
Support primary healthcare is good, but am not sure of this current government with their support again, seeing is believing now in Nigeria
The PHC Challenge Fund is a unique chance to recognise and reward sectorial leadership and ownership in this country. That would be good
The phc challenge fund is very good because it will will strengthen other BMGF investments that aim to ensure the advancement of state-level data quality and use. This will be accomplished by providing additional funding.
A primary health care system will help the people a lot especially those in rural areas that don’t have easy access to health care services.
Some people don’t have the funds and money to buy drugs and afford health care services, so I’m sure this idea of PHC will help with that
Recruitment of critical health workers is required for primary health centres in order to guarantee that all PHC systems meet the minimum staffing criteria appropriate for their level. This is necessary to ensure that all PHC systems have adequate personnel.
It is a good news the primary health cares are getting deserved support from the Federal Government. They should try and meet their needs, make available funds to help , manage and organize the health system for better performances.
The government ought to be encouraging a gradual rise in funding for primary healthcare facilities while also maintaining an efficient budget that is in line with annual operational plans.
Primary health centers must hire key health workers in order to ensure that all PHC systems satisfy the minimal staffing requirements necessary for their level. To guarantee that all PHC systems have the requisite staff, this is required.
Seeing the government contributing to the healthcare sector is news of joy as this will increase the sector’s standard. Various PHCs should also make sure to implement and recruit the best to ensure a smooth and successful operation.
It was also said that in addition to the benefits that were obtained from the grant, each state in the federation incorporated the monetary reforms into their respective public financial management systems. The phc would help a lot
When primary health centers receive help from the government forums thy should first ficus on the north because they are the ones suffering health challenges the most
Primary health care system that needs to be of utmost importance because it’s the closest to the people check all-around the country andyoi weepfor my dear nation when you see the structure of some of these so called health care system…
The primary health care under one roof policy shall be fully implemented, and sound leadership for primary health care will be provided through regular engagement with important stakeholders
The health sector should be a sector that receives the largest fund, this is a sector that deals with people’s life. NGF has taken a good step by willing to fund PHC
This is the best decision made by the government so far, the health sector should be heavily funded, health is wealth!
Primary health care institution is the closes to any community and lot is needed to fund and equip them to benefit majority of the people in the rural areas
If federal government could effective fund the Primary Health cares it will have positive impact on the masses. Those money released should judicious use for the said purpose and not diverted.