Nigeria needs $912 million to tackle the scourge of child malnutrition which is presently ravaging the country.
Dr. Chris Osa Isokpunwu of the Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja, disclosed this at a two-day Media Dialogue on “Leveraging Resources for Child Malnutrition in Nigeria” held on Thursday and Friday, April 28 and 29, 2017, in Enugu.
Nigeria’s health sector will, in the next few weeks, run into massive chain of crises, if the federal government fail to rise to the challenge.
This is following the withdrawal of support to United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) recently announced by the US President, Donald Trump.
The Executive Director, Association for Advancement of Family Planning (AAFP), Dr Ejike Orji, disclosed this in an interview with The AUTHORITY, in Abuja.
Stakeholders representing the various strata of the society have called for improved efforts towards the adoption and funding of family planning in the country.
Speaking separately, the stakeholders which comprise community and religious leaders, youth leaders, governmental and non-governmental organizations, among others said there was need for change methods of advocacy in order to achieve results.
The Federal Government through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has rolled out four new strategies to boost polio eradication drive, strengthen routine immunization and ensure revitalization of primary health care centres in the country.
The Edo state government received federal government’s $1.5 million “Save a Million lives” intervention fund to the state.
Governor Godwin Obaseki the commended the federal government for releasing the money when he hosted the Minister of State for Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, at Government House in Benin on Saturday.
He said the fund, geared toward improving maternal and child health, would be judiciously used in the state.
The National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) has assured donors of improved transparency and accountability in delivering primary healthcare services in Nigeria.
The Executive Director, NPHCDA, Dr Faisal Shuaib, made this known while briefing newsmen in Abuja on Friday.
The NPHCDA boss said he has been working to reposition the agency to imbibe the culture of transparency, accountability, performance management and value for money.
The Federal Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the European Union (EU) on 70 million Euro support to Revamp Nigeria’s health sector.
According to the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, the fund will be used to strengthen the nation’s already weak health system and eradicate polio.
The Head of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria, Michel Arrion emphasised the need to concentrate on reducing the nation’s burden of maternal child mortality.
The Senate Committee on health has said for many years running, Nigeria’s Health sector has suffered gross neglect. Consequent upon this, legislators are pushing for an upward review of the budgetary allocation in the 2017 appropriation Bill currently before the National Assembly.
In a statement by the media office of the Nigerian Legislative Institute ( NILS), the lawmakers say, they are bothered by the country’s health indices, resulting from years of negligence; and particularly, the huge foreign exchange outflows for medical tourism.
For the first time in several years, the National Assembly is pushing to raise 2017 health budget to N1.094 trillion in adherence to the 2001 Abuja Declaration, which recommends a minimum 15 percent of total annual budgets be dedicated to health sector.
The Senate on Tuesday said that the expenditure of over $1 billion (about N305.250 billion) annually for medical treatment abroad was unacceptable.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Lanre Tejuosho, who stated this at a press conference in Abuja said that the Senate was working assiduously to turn the country’s health sector around for the benefit of Nigerian.
