Stakeholders in the nation’s health sector have called for legalised funding for primary health care and immunisation financing in the states of the federation.
The people also recommended an increase in health insurance funding, from one per cent to two per cent, at the state level.
The above was part of the recommendations made during a one-day multi-stakeholder technical workshop aimed at co-developing and reviewing domestic resource mobilisation strategies for state immunisation and primary health care financing.
At the workshop, organised by civil society organisations such as the Global Health Advocacy Incubator, Gavi, and the Vaccine Network for Disease Control, the stakeholders said that the recommendations made were both for short- and long-term approaches.
Speaking at the event, the CEO of one of the civil society organisations, Chika Oluwakemi Offor of the Vaccine Network for Disease Control, said that the workshop also recommended the involvement of the local government areas (LGAs) and state government in the provision of funds to support primary health care centres in a phased approach.
“This is nothing too strong to cause financial constraints on them too much. For instance, they can say that for this year, there will be a revision of two PHCs. Next year, do another one. Within a period of time, you’ve done a lot of PHCs.
“We also talked about the increase in the health budget in the state. The state is doing well with 11 per cent, but we cannot stop. This is because every day new vaccines are introduced. With these new vaccines being introduced, it’s money, and the state has to support the FG and the LGAs across the state.
“We also talked about Value Added Tax (VAT). LGAs have 35% of VAT, states have 50% of VAT. With a certain percentage of VAT, if it’s even 5 to 10% between the state and LGs coming to PHCs and immunisation, it would go a long way to improve the healthcare sector. These are things that are already there and that are easy to do.”.
Offor, who said that the workshop was the first of its series with the state government, added that it was planned to determine the way forward.
“There will be more because we want Kwara state to lead. The NGF chairman is Kwara governor. Whatever he does, others copy. It’s imperative that Kwara does well to ensure health for Kwara people.”.
In her speech, the state commissioner for health, Dr Amina El-Imam, commended the organisers while stating the need to improve the number of vaccinated children in the state.
According to her, it is important that the vaccine network be in the state in order to gear all stakeholders towards the promotion of primary health care.
She reiterated the resolve that the state government is committed to the vaccination of all children, adding that the programme aimed to improve the lives of children in the state.
Stakeholders at the workshop include lawmakers, appointed government officials, members of civil society Society organisations, clerk of the House of Assembly, ministry officials, and media personalities, among others.
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