Access to medical care by Nigerians is set to improve with the new health bill that will pool together, N1.793 trillion over the first eight years of its implementation to alleviate and provide basic minimum package of health care services to the citizenry.
The bill that is now on President Goodluck Jonathan’s table and is awaiting his assent, highlighted the sources where the funds are expected during the first nine year period to reduce the burden of financing on the families of patients.
Sources of the funds are a projected one percent from the consolidation revenue fund of the government, a constant amount from donors and an innovative financing initiatives from the aviation and the telecom sectors.
A breakdown of the amount from these sources shows that N165.60billion is expected this year, N172.48 billion in 2015, N179.89 billion in 2016, and N187.89 billion in 2017.
Others are N196.5 billion in 2018, N205.8 billion in 2019, N215.82 billion in 2020, N226.62 billion 2021 and N238.28 billion in 2022.
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The new health bill was drafted in 2004 and had gone through series of amendments between 2004 and 2010. It contains inputs from over 450 stakeholders in the health sector with approval by the Federal Ministry of Health and subsequently the Federal Executive Council in 2006.
Further work was carried out by the two chambers of the National Assembly last month and transmitted to the president on 28 October this year. The president›s failure to sign it by November 27 will bring it to a waste of efforts of over 450 stakeholders in the health sector and that of 450 federal lawmakers that had assessed and given their approvals.
If signed and fully implemented to the letter, it will erase the long years of neglect of the sector which has seen the flight of its best hands to offshore greener pastures. Currently, 10,000 Nigerian doctors are practicing in the United States alone, due to the prostrate situation of the local health sector.
If signed by the president, it will also assist in meeting the new sustainable development goals (SDG) which the the nation is transiting to, due to her failure in meeting the 2015 millennium development goals (MDGS).
Ben Anyene, chairman, Board of Trustees, Health Reform Foundation of Nigeria, (HERFON), noted that the sources of the funds would reduce the burden of sole funding of the sector by government. HERFON, a health foundation coordinates coalition efforts at reforming the sector.
The N1.793 trillion will be pooled from 2014, if it is signed this year to 2022 and will be administered by the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) to finance the basic health care provision.»
The BHCPF which the bill seeks to create will finance the procurement of essential drugs, vaccines and consumables for eligible primary heath care facilities, and the provision and maintenance of facilities.
Other scopes of the funds are the development of human resources for primary healthcare and emergency medical treatment.
Mohammed Lecky, former, executive secretary, National Health Insurance Scheme, said the new health bill is imperative because of the critical situation of the health system in the country. Nigeria, according to him has one of the highest under-five mortality burdens in the world.
Aggregate health indicators and data from Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) show that the infant and under-5 mortality estimates are 69 and 128 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Maternal mortality is also a grave problem though variations exists in indicators, according to Lecky who is currently the executive secretary of HERFON.
Proportion of mothers receiving ante natal care from skilled providers show 41 percent in the North West, 49 percent North East, 91 percent South East, and 90 percent in the South West.
Among the states, the variation in the values are Osun 98 percent, Zamfara 22 percent, Katsina 23 percent, Kebbi 24 percent, and Sokoto 17 percent.
These, according to Lecky, point to underinvestment in health services and inefficiencies in the use of available health resources across the state.
The nation›s health care system has come under the burden of budgetary constraints and persistent underfunding, inadequate financial protection for the poor and obsolete facilities and equipments.
The federal government spends little on health financing with six percent of its total expenditure for the sector. This represents $19 person and less than the $35-$50 per capita to provide basic life saving services according to World Health Organisation (WHO). This is also far below the 15 percent target for African countries in Abuja in 2001.
The sector is also plagued by poor morale and inadequate incentives for workers, shortage and maladministration of human resources,leading to consumer dissatisfaction.
Badejo Ademuyiwa
