THE National Assembly and major stakeholders in Nigeria’s health system have demanded better healthcare delivery for all Nigerians by all tiers of government in the country.
The request was made at the Fifth Annual Legislative Summit on Health with the theme “Improving Legislative Stewardship And Accountability For Universal Health Coverage” on Wednesday, July 17, in Abuja.
In her welcome address at the three-day summit, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Ipalibo Harry Banigo, informed the participants that indices about Nigeria’s health development were abysmally poor.
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She called for urgent measures to address the gaps in the nation’s healthcare delivery system.
“We believe that with this collaboration, this dialogue, this sharing notes, speaking to each other, sharing knowledge, translating knowledge, and in all these ways of putting minds and ideas together, we will be able to work towards the good of our people, improve their health care and make life more meaningful for Nigerians all over this country. No single part of Nigeria should be left out. Everybody is important and our healthcare should reach them.
“This gathering serves as a reminder of the pivotal role the legislature plays in safeguarding the health and well-being of our fellow citizens. The theme of this summit Improving Legislative Stewardship And Accountability For Universal Health Coverage resonates deeply at this critical juncture, urging us to elevate accountability in healthcare governance,” the senator stated.
According to her, Nigeria’s healthcare landscape stands at a crossroads. She, therefore, called for a significant increase in public funding, especially for the poor and vulnerable populations.
She added that the health budget allocations must not only be adequate but also meticulously managed to ensure that every naira invested translates into measurable health benefits for the people.
She posited that a robust health system hinged on strong financial financing mechanisms.
“The Abuja declaration mandate for 15 per cent of the national budget allocated to health remains unfulfilled. At this summit, we must identify legislative initiatives that provide funding solutions, effective policies as well as sustainable partnerships.
“Such initiatives should also enhance transparency and accountability in the utilisation of available funds,” the former deputy governor of Rivers state emphasised.
According to her, epidemic preparedness is another area of focus in the quest to achieve health security.
She stated that telemedicine serves as a vital lifeline, particularly in remote and underserved regions, bridging healthcare gaps through digital platforms.
The senator also said climate change posed an increasingly urgent health challenge, directly impacting public health through rising temperatures and extreme weather events.
“Legislative interventions must integrate climate resilience into our health policies location for sustainable practises and infrastructure to mitigate these effects,” she added.
Also speaking at the event, the chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on HIV, AIDS, Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Malaria Control, (ATM), Amobi Ogah, disclosed that during the last budget process, there was no allocation to malaria and tuberculosis by the Federal Ministry of Health.
“I wish that the Ministry of Health were here because when we are talking about the issue of health, the legislatures are here talking about policies, our development partners are here and the executors are not here, I don’t think we are helping ourselves because they’re supposed to be here so that we can forge ahead.
“The reason for this is that much of the resources for malaria and tuberculosis come largely from foreign donors and partners. While we remain grateful to them, we must, as a matter of urgency begin to take care of our business and we can only do that by ourselves.
He urged the government to take the lead in providing adequate funding for the health sector to achieve set targets and universal health coverage for people who are currently grappling with the country’s present economic realities.
“We must all be willing to walk the talk and follow through on all the goals as we arrive at it. We must also be willing to partner with the MDAs and non-governmental agencies to ensure synergy in our purpose and directions,” Ogah stated.
In his remarks, the Director of Projects at the development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC), Stanley Ukpai, a doctor, disclosed that investment in the health sector at the federal and state required improvement given the growing challenges facing the sector.
He added that civil society organisations and legislative engagement could improve healthcare delivery, thereby increasing the living standard of Nigerians.
While commending the Legislative Network for the annual gathering, he assured of the dRPC’s commitment to supporting the event.
There were goodwill messages from different organisations, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), Development Health Partners Group (DPG), Health Sector Reform Coalition (HSRC0, UHC 2030, StopTB Partnership Nigeria, and CaywoodBrown Foundation.
Others are Local Health System Sustainability (LHSS), Global Health Advocacy Incubator, PharmAccess, The Challenge Initiative, Lafiya Programme, Development Research And Project Center (DRPC), Development Governance International, Vaccine Network, and LISDEL.
A reporter with the ICIR
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