The Nigerian government on Wednesday said it has disbursed about N45 billion directly to Primary Health Care Centers (PHCs) across the country through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Pate, made this known at a three-day joint annual review of the entire Nigerian health sector in Abuja.
The annual review with the theme: “It's for all of us: Accelerating health sector reforms together” brings together stakeholders to evaluate and coordinate health sector reform efforts.
Pate explained that the BHCPF 2.0 reform incorporates equity considerations in the distribution of financial and human resources to more than 8,000 primary care centers through direct facilities.
He said N45 billion has already been disbursed through direct facilities to the state and to serve the people of the country.
“We have mobilized with our partners over N3 billion in terms of supplementary financing over three years, including N2.1 billion that we have confirmed over time, which will complement the government effort, and in the last year it has been revitalized various facilities. already,” he said.
“And 2,600 are currently in the final stages of improvement in the states, and these are resources that we know will also help make our APS functional, and an additional 2,000 facilities will also be revitalized as part of this effort.”
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Pate had in December revealed plans to disburse about N50 billion for the improvement and expansion of primary care centers across the country by the first quarter of 2024.
He said this is part of the current administration's goal to expand primary health care facilities from 8,000 to 17,000 in the next four years.
Improving the workforce
At the event, Pate highlighted the government's efforts to improve the healthcare workforce, noting that more than 40,000 frontline healthcare workers have been retrained so far.
He said this was part of the current administration's commitment to strengthening the health workforce.
“As a demonstration of the president's commitment to improving the health workforce, we announced that 120,000 frontline health workers would be retrained. So far more than 40,000 people have been retrained and we are on track to meet and exceed the goal,” he said.
In his remarks, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, said the annual review is a vital instrument for health sector stakeholders to evaluate program performance.
Salako said it also serves as an opportunity to evaluate resource allocation and review results or issues that need to be addressed to improve performance.
“As a fundamental accountability tool, we will use the annual review to promote multi-sector coordination and set clear priorities for the coming year, ensuring that all stakeholders remain aligned with national health objectives,” he said.
About BHCPF
Established in 2014 under section 11 of the National Health Law, the BHCPF provides funding to improve access to primary health care.
It was designed to be funded with no less than one percent of the federal government's Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) and other sources, including donor contributions.
The Fund provides a Basic Minimum Package of Health Services (BMPHS) aimed at increasing fiscal space for health, strengthening the national health system, particularly at the PHC level, and ensuring access to health care for all.