…..Says the BHCPF represents Nigeria’s commitment to achieving Universal Health Coverage
In the quest, to achieve universal health coverage, and provide quality health care to all, irrespective, of their economic status, the various gateways of the health sector, has taken it upon itself to discuss some of its activities, achievements, challenges, and the way forward, through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), media engagement agenda.
The media engagement, aimed at improving the understanding of the nature, challenges and operations of the fund, was held on Wednesday 14th of August 2024.
In his welcome address, Dr Muktar Muhammad, the secretary of the Ministerial Oversight Committee of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), said that the BHCPF, which represents Nigeria’s commitment to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC), has several core objectives.
And the objectives includes; ensuring that all Nigerians, particularly the vulnerable, have access to essential health services, improving the functionality and capacity of Primary Health Care (PHC), facilities across the country, establishment and support of emergency medical systems to provide timely and effective care, and, the enhancement of the nation’s ability to respond to public health care emergency.
Although, the objectives of the BHCPF are very important and crucial, it is not void of challenges.
And according to Dr. Muktar, some of the challenges in the implementation of the BHCPF includes; funding, a lack in human resource, limited awareness and participation and many more.
Dr. Muktar in the discussion of the way forward, made a review of the BHCPF 2020 Guidelines.
Dr. Ashiru Adamu, the Sector Wide Approach (SWAp) coordinator stated that although, SWAp started on a rough patch with inadequate spend, limited human resources to serve the population of the country, unreliable data collection, limited infrastructure and poor healthcare maintenance culture, complex unintegrated supply chains which caused procurement inefficiencies and low stock.
SWAp has taken it upon itself to design a strategic blueprint 2023-2026, aimed at rapidly improving the health outcomes of Nigerians. According to him “to improve the national health systems, the NHSRII Compact was signed between the Federal and State Government and DPs sand so far, has achieved some milestones.
He stated, that a 13 health sector priority, to reflect some of the most urgent needs for the health system, was set based on the guidance and direction provided by the Sector Wide Approach (SWAp) coordination and delivery office and the Federal Ministry of Health.
The priorities include; the improvement of maternal, newborn and child health, and nutrition, expansion of financial protection for all citizens through health insurance and other innovative financing mechanisms, also, the acceleration of immunization programmes, the improvement of pandemic prevention, detection, preparedness and response and many more.
According to Dr. Ashiru, “by 2027, we hope to have created a step-change for all Nigerians, through a better coordinated health sector, which harnesses the frontline efforts of everyone involved.
“As a collective, through this sector approach, we hope to; increase local production capacity to locally produce critical health products, improve response to health threats, apply more data to in decision-making and expand the healthcare access”
After the break, other Gateway presentations from the NHIA, NEMSAS, NCDC on activities and achievements took place, after which there was an interactive session of question and answer and an open discussion of the involvement of the media.
