Stakeholders in the health sector have called for increased budgetary allocation to the health in the 2017 budget.
This, they say, should be in line with the Abuja Declaration of 2001, which recommends that a minimum of 15 percent of the total annual budget be dedicated to health.
They state this at a retreat in South Africa, organised by the National Institute for Legislative Studies (NILS).
In a statement signed by the communications adviser to the Institute, Kanayo Nwajei, the primary objective of the retreat was to deepen technical expertise and broaden the activities of members of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on
Health and Appropriation, to improve systematic and effective oversight of the health sector in Nigeria.
Giving a breakdown of the infrastructural spending in the 2017 proposal already before the National Assembly, Udoma Udo Udoma, had revealed at the public presentation/breakdown of the proposal that the health ministry would get N51 billion.
The session chaired by Lanre Tejuosho, chairman, Senate Committee on Health, assured that the National Assembly would ensure that the provision of the National Health Act, 2014, which stipulates that 1 percent of the consolidated revenue fund be dedicated to the health sector, was adhered to in the 2017 budget.
Other resolutions at the retreat include: “That the National Assembly will improve its oversight of the health sector and health expenditure spending and ensure judicious management of resources allocated to health, particularly given the decline in oil revenues;
“That greater political will to accelerate resource allocation to health and ensure that the sector is among the top five priority areas in the national budget.
“Government must provide an enabling regulatory environment as well as a model for public private partnership to ensure the delivery of quality, safe and efficacious medical products and technologies;
“The National Assembly will initiate a legislation to make NHIS mandatory to all Nigeria that ensures that all Nigerians are able to access with ease at least primary health care facilities;
“That the National Assembly will support government’s proposal to build 10,000 primary health care centres across the country in the 2017 budget.”
The statement added that the 16 lawmakers from Nigeria, comprising senators, House of Representatives members and staff of NILS, also visited the South African Parliament and held meetings with their counterparts in the Appropriation and Health Committees and the South African Parliament in Cape Town.
The retreat was declared open by David Chapfika, chairman, Committee of Finance, Parliament of Zimbabwe, while NILS’ director-general, Ladi Hamalai, was represented by Yemi Fajingbesin, the Institute’s director of research and training.
OWEDE AGBAJILEKE
