Following the high maternal and child mortality rate in Niger State, the legislators have called for declaration of State of Emergency on the State Health sector.At the retreat organized by Niger State House of Assembly, Niger State Ministry of Health in conjunction with Civil Society Scaling up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) and CHRI, the law makers resolved that budget allocations to Niger State health sector is inadequate and not enough to meet the child and family health need of the state. They noted that there is untimely release of funds, that the supervision, monitoring and evaluation of funds is extremely weak.
They saw the need for revitalization of existing primary health care facilities and replacement of ‘envelope system’ with strategic budgeting in Niger State Budget and Planning. According to them there is need for empowerment and sensitization of women of reproductive age on health issues. They resolved to support the state health policies and approve increased allocation to health in order to meet the 2001 Abuja Declaration of 15% budget allocation to health.
They observed the need for posting of medical personnel to the rural areas where they are needed the most. “There is need for additional funding and support to provide cold chain equipment. There is need for intermittent sensitization on challenges confronting child and family health. Niger State need to fill in the human resource gap. For effective and efficiency PHC operation, there is the need for PHC to operate holistically, by transferring of salary to the PHCDA in addition to the already transferred of staff. Government should set out programmes to support students that are good to study health courses”, they further observed.
They resolved to support the state with required legislations that will advance the health fortune of the state and to generate alternative funding mechanism for the health sector.
According to them, the state should buy into the Universal Health Insurance (Formal and Community based health insurance scheme) as well as prioritize the timely release of counterpart funding of health projects and programmes.
Source:Nationalmirroronline
