From Our Correspondent
The Nigeria Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Forum has called for holistic reappraisal of Nigeria’s health policy thrusts to allow for civil societies and citizen participation.
The Forum made the request during a consultative meeting with the Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammed Ali Pate, on Friday, in Abuja.
TheNewsZenith reports that UHC is a coalition of civil societies and non-governmental organisations in the health sector.
Leader of the coalition, Dr Gafar Alawode, said the Forum is currently working on some major health development initiatives.
The Basic Healthcare Development Provision Fund (BHCPF) Accountability Framework is among such initiatives, Alawode said.
The coalition expressed optimism that an accountability framework will be useful if deployed to support emerging policy thrusts.
Alawode, who also doubles as Chairman of the Health Sector Reform Coalition (HSRC) Health Financing Committee, spoke on the need for re-examination of the health policy thrusts.
This is to determine where civil societies can make additional recommendations in terms of position papers.
He said the coalition wished to have access to details of the emerging policy thrust. This is necessary to make recommendations towards effective implementation.
The group also expressed willingness to take up issues of accountability and transparency. It sought the Ministers support for the UHC in this regard.
Alawode stressed the importance of a multi-sectoral approach and strategic collaboration and partnership for meaningful progress.
“There is a need to mobilise citizens and CSOs at all levels to review the new strategies. We will come up with a position paper on this for presentation to the ministry.
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He appreciated the Coordinating Minister for the giant strides he is making in the health sector with regard to policy thrusts.
Responding, Prof. Pate reiterated the policy direction of the current administration and the ministry.
According to him, the policy direction is based on four cardinal areas. These include effective governance and efficient, equitable and quality health systems.
Others are unlocking value chain, promoting clinical research and development as well as health security.
He said the focal areas hinged on engagements and interactions with a wide range of stakeholders.
They include citizens who participated in key informant interviews and current health outcomes.
Pate assured that the focus of the President Tinubu’s administration is to mobilise available resources towards getting robust service delivery.
The minister had set up a committee to develop the Basic Healthcare Provision Programme (BHCPP). It incorporated redesign of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF).
Further to this, the committee met with a coalition of CSOs/NGOs to discuss key elements of redesigning BHCPF and key features of the BHCPP.
The meeting is part of the consultative process, supporting the rollout of the BHCPP.
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