Commissioner designate assures of sustainability
In its resolve to focus on improving domestic funding and other policies to Child and Family Health, the Niger state House of Assembly Committee on Health has assured that it will do its best to actualize the Abuja 15 percent commitment.
Other states in the north that are ranked to have fulfilled their commitment in their 2023 budgets; Jigawa (16.14%), Sokoto (15.72%) and Kano (15.37%) and also neighbouring Kaduna (14.71%) which is nearing the benchmark.
Chairman, House Committee on Health and Primary Health Care, Hon. Umar Nasiru said over the weekend that the committee would liaise with the State Accountant General and Ministry of Finance to ensure the increase and timeline release of funds.
Speaking when he played host to the Niger State PAS Partners and the dRPC under the PACFaH@ Scale project at the State House of Assembly Complex, Hon. Nasiru said the Committee will meet with the House and ensure they convince members to ensure quick approval.
According to Nasiru, “we will see to the allocation of budget line to Child and family Health Issue areas; Family Planning (FP), Routine Immunization (RI) and Childhood Killer Diseases and also improve on the funding.
Also, when the team visited the Executive Director, Niger State Primary Health Care Development Agency (SPHCDA) who is also a Commissioner Nominee, Dr. Ibrahim Dangana he assured that, he will sustain the effort.
According to Dr. Dangana “I will do my best to see that the agenda is at the front burner. One of the things that we need to do is to strengthen the Concept of MoU agreement with partners.
“Develop sustainable strategic plan for the continuation of the just concluded Four year PHC-MOU signed between Niger State and the Bill and Mallinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and other Partners that supported the State to strengthen integrated PHCs system. As the MOU finished last year 2022, there is urgent need to come up with plans for sustainability.”
Earlier, Dr. Aliyu Yabagi Shehu called on the Chairman of the Committee to encourage the State Government to fulfill the 2001 Abuja Commitment with priority allocation to PHC as contained in the declaration, by earmarking 15% of its total State budget to health sector in the budget of 2024.
According to him “this will put the state in the league of other states in the north that are ranked to have fulfilled their commitment in their 2023 budgets; Jigawa (16.14%), Sokoto (15.72%) and Kano (15.37%) and also neighbouring Kaduna (14.71%) which is nearing the bench mark.
“Support the State Primary Health Care Development Agency (SPHCDA) to relate with relevant stakeholders in the Local Government Areas for the fulfilment of the 15% allocation from LGA revenues to SPHCDA to further strengthen the Primary Healthcare Under One Roof (PHCUOR) Policy Implementation and improve primary health care services in Niger State”.
Furthermore, Dr. Yabagi called on the Commissioner nominee to lend his voice and advice Niger State Government as an expected potential member of the State Executive council to consider and include the agenda projected by PAS in the health sector Agenda.
While congratulating him on his nomination as commissioner in the cabinet of the new administration, Dr. Yabagi charged him to impress on the Government to address some of the issues confronting effective health care service delivery in the State which according to him “are ultimately Inadequate funding allocation and releases to the health sector which are seen as hindrances to the actualization of the Universal Health Coverage in Niger State.”
The team leader added that “if those agenda are adopted and considered by this administration, it will go a long way to addressing some of the issues/challenges around health sector, hence enhance the achievement of the desired Universal Health Coverage in Niger State.”
