Nigeria to begin basic healthcare fund in August

Nigeria will commence the implementation of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, BHCPF, in August, this year, as part of the health initiatives of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo stated this at Thisday Health Policy Dialogue held at the Shehu Muss Yar’Adua Centre Abuja.

Osinbajo said that funds have already been included in the 2018 Budget for the implementation of the programme.

“It is a key deliverable of our administration as we recognize the importance of human capital in spurring economic development and growth,”the vice president said, adding “with the BHCPF we aim to provide a transparent and efficient structure for the inter-fiscal transfer of resources through the implementing agencies to the service delivery centres.”

He said: “This fund will be used to purchase an explicit but guaranteed package of high impact maternal and child health services while improving the quality of healthcare delivered in these facilities.  We do not envision that the fund will be kept in any account but rather that they will be disbursed swiftly to provide the much needed services to the rural poor. 

“Every beneficiary will receive an identification card with a unique code to enable us accurately determine the number of people benefiting from the programme.”

Social component

Profesdor Osinbajo expressed his excitement about the possibilities of programme and urged development partners to contribute to the fund.

“So , our Social Investment Pogramme fits into the overall health-care policy,” he said.

He said over 8.1million children were being given one meal a day under the National Homegrown School Feeding Programme, HGSFP, in 24 states.

“One of the key objectives of the programme is to address issues of malnutrition.  As you know, it leads to physical and mental stunting of young children.  Part of the school feeding programme is also a de-worming programme where we ensure that children are periodically dewormed.”

He also spoke on the Conditional Cash Transfer programme, which he said also has health care component.

“In developing the social register from which these payments are made, we take in account the number of children in each house that are in school and children who have been immunized, with a view to encouraging school attendance.

“Our focus is on lifting millions out of poverty and this fills into the objective of reducing health outcomes.”

Vice President Osinbajo also informed participants at the event that pursuant to the National Health Act, government was providing the statutory 1% of the consolidated revenue fund in the 2018 Budget.

However, he pointed out that  “budgetary provision alone cannot provide the type of healthcare we deserve.”

Also speaking, Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said there was need for a paradigm shift from celebrating inputs to ensuring that positive outcomes are recorded in all health programmes.

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