…as Reps solicit for establishment of Healthcare Trust Fund
By Gloria Ikibah
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate has reiterated that Nigeria’s is doing everything to address all funding and policies gaps in order to tackle the challenges in the nation’s healthcare system especially in the face of the cut in funding by the United States government.
The Minister gave the assurance during an interactive session with the House of Representatives Committee on AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria on Thursday.
Pate explained that though the US decision was sudden, its impact was reduced as a result of the various measures put in place earlier by the federal government through policies and interventions.
He said, “So the changes that have occurred in the landscape which brought to this conversation, particularly the adjustment in U.S. policy, certainly it’s a major shift in U.S. government policy.When we looked at it from our side, we understood that in fact it’s an opportunity for research.
“And we appreciate the contribution of the U.S. government, the billions of dollars of U.S. government and U.S. people’s resources that help, but the responsibility to provide for the country is on us immediately.
“And that while we appreciate what has happened in the past, now we have to look at how do we orient ourselves to improve and continue so that no Nigerian who is doing technical care will go without treatment for HIV, for instance, malaria or other conditions.
“This change occurred at a point when we were 18 months old. We were able to have a lot of financial support because health care was very important. So we have now found that as part of our investment plan, we have an opportunity to do this.We now have another responsibility of putting more money into the Health Sector.
“So coming to the issues of HIV and tuberculosis in Nigeria, for 20, 25 years, external parties have largely funded HIV, TB, and malaria in Nigeria.And we appreciate those contributions that they have made.Because they save lives.
“They have the laboratory capacity as well as the public health capacity.And it’s welcome.And when I mentioned external parties, this included the U.S. government through the DEFRA program, the USAID, through the malaria program.
“But there are also other bilateral partners, local health organizations, local funders and others who comprise this 10%, but those 10% largely have been outside government systems.They were contracted to external parties to deliver their assistance to Nigeria through the channels that they control”.
The Minister further stated that, prior to that the Federal Government had already initiated many programs and intereventions which have started to yield results in the healthcare sector through collaboration between the federal , State and local governments in the country.
“Most have been in place and thankfully the budget process has started and so with that understanding when this shift was announced we then went in once and did a very thorough bottom-up analysis like task force, technical government, comprising all our major agencies, NACA, Public Health, AIR program, TB program, all of the programs that are relevant to what we will take for us to fill the gap.
“We have approached multiple for HIV, for Malaria, for group reproductive health for Tuberculosis, for Nutrition and Public Health Care agencies, and to update it. So, U.S. government support was mostly heavily on HIV, Malaria and Tuberculosis programs”, the minister added.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Committee Chairman, Rep. Amobi Godwin Ogah said, explained that the interactive session became necessary so as to be on the same page with the ministry and to ensure that programs and projects relating to HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Malaria are implemented seamlessly without bottlenecks because of their critical importance in saving the lives of Nigerians.
He said, “My dear Coordinating Minister, we have always argued for increased domestic funding and less dependence on foreign funding for our health systems and as we are all aware of the withdrawal of financial support by the US Government towards funding for African Health systems.
“The Nigerian Government has equally risen to the occasion by allocating more resources to the fight against communicable diseases such as HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Thus, making the decision of the US Government to appear as a blessing in disguise.
“We must also commend Prof Pate and the Ministry of Health for your leadership, determination and doggedness in making a case for increased funding for the health sector to the Federal Executive Council under the prevailing circumstances, which led to the several funds that have been allocated to the health sector in recent times. This certainly will go a long way in plugging the funding gaps that the US Government decision has created”.
In an interview with journalists after the interactive session, Rep. Ogah advocated for the creation of a Healthcare SectorTrust Fund to take care of eventualities and gaps in funding.
“A lot of countries in Africa are struggling at this moment.I just came back from Tanzania on the issue of health and materials.So I think there is need.Like we have an education fund.There is a, what is it called TETFUND.
“It’s very, very important.I think looking at the challenges we are facing at the moment, we don’t want to continue facing such challenges because it happened this way today.We don’t know the way it will happen tomorrow. If not, we have a minister who is already part of the system there, it won’t be that easy for us”, he added.
Also addressing journalists afterwards, the minister of health and social welfare, Professor Mohammed Ali Pate stated that, the lawmakers are a very important vehicle for health advocacy for improving awareness of population.
He said that, the ministry would work more closely with the national assembly members to ensure that Nigerians domesticate, internalize ideas that will help tackle malaria, HIV and Tuberculosis in the country.
He said, “there are preventive things you can do for HIV the preventive things that you can do for tuberculosis for which our first lady senator mitchinibu is the global and regional and national TV champion.
“Our parliamentarians, can educate people to get tested, for instance, and call on other parliamentarians at the state level, state assembly members, to also go to their constituents and educate their population, whether it’s water and sanitation, whether it’s nutrition,whether it’s attending primary health care, whether it’s on immunization.
“We can activate the power of the parliamentarians because they are close to the people.And that will all help us to reach the objective which Mr President has put forward that the health of Nigerians is key to human capital accumulation and is key to the prosperity that is in this country’s future”.