…as NGF seeks sustainable funding for sector
As the Nigerian Governors’Forum agitate for sustainable funding of the country’s primary healthcare system, Nasarawa State Governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, has identified two areas where, backed by law, money can be unlocked to fund and sustain primary healthcare.
Engineer Sule made this known while speaking at the State Health Leadership Collaborative forum, which held at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Abuja, on Wednesday.
Drawing from his experience from the organised private sector, as well as from public service, especially his recent trip to the Chatham House London, the Governor identified two key areas that backed by law, the country can harness resources to fund the primary healthcare system on a sustainable basis.
He specifically proposed for the passage of a law that will mandate the Nigeria Sugar Development Council, to remit a certain amount gotten as part of the ten percent that goes to the council from the proceeds of the backward integration policy of the Federal Government.
According to Engineer Sule, Nigeria consumes between 2.5 to 1.7m tones of sugar annually, with more than 95 percent of this imported as raw sugar and refined in the country.
“And if you know the price of sugar now, then you will understand my language. If that is imported, 10 percent of the cost of that, goes to the Nigeria Sugar Development Council. And the purpose of that money is to promote backward integration. We have gone roughly 10-15 years now trying to encourage backward integration.
“I felt, with due respect, that since part of our health related challenges in this country is caused by sugar, then sugar council, by law, should release part of that money to finance universal primary healthcare,” Engineer Sule stated.
The Governor equally proposed for the enactment of a law that wil also mandate the agency handling revenue made from importation of used vehicles into the country, to remit 50 percent towards funding of primary healthcare in the country.
“Some of these vehicles that are already expiring in other countries we import them into Nigeria and pollute the environment and cause more and more problems. Maybe we need to push for a bill that will make this into a law,” he added.
Commenting on his recent trip to London, Engineer Sule said Nigeria cannot continue to rely on development partners and foreign investments when it comes to financing primary healthcare.
“We must find our way. We appreciate them, we will continue to appreciate them. While they are continuously trying to help us, we must find sources within and especially in Nigeria. Nigeria has so many other options and there are so much money sitting in so many other places but we must find ways to bring out these monies to finance our primary healthcare,” he said.
Engineer Sule however, advocated for the judicious and transparent utilisation of such resources in order for the people to benefit directly from such initiatives.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), has noted that equitable primary healthcare is a key component of high performing health systems and prerequisite for achieving sustainable development goal number three and the universal health coverage.
Chairman of the Forum and Ekiti State governor, John Fayemi, who was represented at the event by Engineer Sule, described the theme of the forum, “Financing Healthcare in Nigeria” as apt, especially that deliberations from the parley, hinge on issues that is critical to the foundation of sustainable development goal and the future of Nigeria.
Fayemi pointed out that health financing is a critical building block of health system that directly affects the functionality of the overall system, and that until Nigeria addresses the issue of poor funding for health and fragmentation of health financing, the country will make no headway or little headway in pursuit of universal health coverage.
“As you may know, health system are driven by their financing arrangement and this include the number of funds they receive, how these funds are distributed across the system and how they are utilised to provide equitable access to services. Health financing is a critical building block of health system that directly affects the functionality of the overall system,” the NGF chairman said.
Fayemi said, even though health remains a fundamental human rights, Nigeria has not been able to guarantee this right for all Nigerians, mostly because of the way the health system is financed and delivered.
“And until we address the issue of poor funding for health and fragmentation of health financing in Nigeria, we will make no headway or little headway in pursuit of universal health coverage,” he stated.
On his part, Prof. Mohammed Nasir Sambo, Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), lamented that, in spite of collaborative efforts globally and locally to develop effective and functional primary healthcare system in the country, sustainable financing has remained a major challenge.