By John Ikani
States under the All Progressives Congress (APC) are to henceforth devote 15 percent of their annual budget to healthcare delivery.
This decision was taken at a meeting of Commissioners of Health and Executive Secretaries of Primary Health Care Delivery; on improving primary health care in APC States.
A communiqué jointly signed by Kwara State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Raji Razaq and the Director-General of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), Salihu Lukman was issued to newsmen after the meeting.
The objectives of the meeting, according to the communique were identifying challenges of primary health care delivery, proffering sustainable solutions aimed at tackling the identified challenges confronting primary healthcare delivery, facilitating the adoption of uniform implementation of policy initiatives on primary healthcare delivery across all APC states and promoting synergy, peer review and experience sharing among APC states on primary healthcare delivery.
According to the communiqué, the meeting resolved “to domesticate Primary Health Care under one roof in line with Federal Government policy initiative under the National Primary Health Care Development Authority; priority consideration to be given to Maternal and Child Nutrition in Primary Healthcare Delivery Services”.
The communique said after considering all the presentations and recognising the commitment of APC as provided in the party manifesto, the meeting stressed “the need for APC states to align with the Federal Government’s declaration of 15 per cent annual allocation and release to health care services.”
The health commissioners agreed that each of the APC states should undertake the establishment of a sustainable health care financing system such as health insurance and health emergency trust fund.
Furthermore, the states also resolved to strengthen coordination of initiatives to fast-track implementation of PGF policy initiatives on maternal and child health service delivery and carry out initiatives to revitalise primary health care services, beyond erecting structures but also guaranteeing sustainable funding of facility operations to be prioritised.
“Public health care services should be data driven with the appropriate ICT”, the communique further stated, stressing that the states will also undertake to strengthen regular processes of information sharing on issues of primary health care delivery among APC controlled states to facilitate synergy of initiatives and proactive responses.
Similarly, it noted that COVID-19 response efforts, including immunisation would be sustained among the APC states.
