The coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, announced on Wednesday that N45 billion has been disbursed directly to over 8,000 primary healthcare centres across Nigeria through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund.
According to The PUNCH, the announcement was made during the three-day Nigeria Health Sector-Wide Joint Annual Review in Abuja, themed “It’s for all of us: Accelerating our health sector reforms together.”
Highlighting the reform efforts, Pate explained, “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. N45 billion has already been disbursed directly to the states to serve our population.”
Pate further shared that over N3 billion in complementary funding has been mobilized over the past three years. “We have mobilised more than N3 billion in complementary funding over the past three years, including N2.1 billion that has been confirmed over time, which will complement the Federal Government’s efforts.
In the last year, several facilities have already been revitalised, and 2,600 are currently in the late stages of being upgraded through the states. Additionally, two thousand more facilities will be revitalised as part of this effort,” he added.
Emphasizing workforce development, Pate said, “We have announced that 120,000 frontline health workers will be retrained. More than 40,000 have already undergone retraining, and we are on track to meet and exceed the target.”
He also cited significant achievements in disease control, noting a 40 percent reduction in diarrhoeal diseases, a 24 percent reduction in tuberculosis cases, and a 12 percent decrease in HIV infections.
The minister also pointed out progress in family planning efforts, with 17 states showing improvement in the use of modern contraceptives and six states doubling their efforts.
Additionally, Pate mentioned advancements in local health manufacturing and health security.
“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,” he stated.
The minister claimed that public perception of the health system has improved, referencing a recent survey.
“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,” Pate remarked.
In his address, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma acknowledged progress but called for greater action to address high under-five and infant mortality rates.
Representing the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Uzodinma said, “While we have seen some improvements in health indicators, particularly in reducing under-five and infant mortality rates, these figures remain unacceptably high. Moreover, we have seen worsening trends in neonatal mortality and malnutrition. These statistics highlight the urgency of our work.”
He urged continued collaboration, saying, “We must continue to work together, recognising the unique challenges each state faces while maintaining our shared focus on achieving better health outcomes for all Nigerians.”
Uzodinma also commended the minister’s efforts, adding, “The series of engagements carried out across all 36 states have ensured that key stakeholders are aligned on the sector-wide groups and understand their roles in each process.”
The Nigeria Governors’ Forum reaffirmed its dedication to the health sector compact and ongoing reform efforts.
