CSOs demand assent, timely release of 2017 health budget

The Coalition for Maternal, Newborn Child and Adolescent Accountability (C4MAN) has called on the Federal Government to accent to the 2017 health budget as soon as possible so that disbursements to implement all that is needed for the common good of Nigeria is timely effected.   “We are a bit concerned and worried that the […]

The Coalition for Maternal, Newborn Child and Adolescent Accountability (C4MAN) has called on the Federal Government to accent to the 2017 health budget as soon as possible so that disbursements to implement all that is needed for the common good of Nigeria is timely effected.

 

“We are a bit concerned and worried that the Appropriation Bill which was confirmed on May 11th 2017 is yet to be accented to, recalling that the 2016 budget just ended on May 31st 2017,” said Dr Ejike Orji, chair of C4MAN. “This delay is affecting health services in the country.”

 

They made this call at the C4MAN general meeting in Abuja, emphasizing that the delay in implementation of the health budget only worsened the health conditions of Nigerians.

 

Orji explained delayed budget automatically affected supply of health care commodities as vaccines, nutrition and family planning, as well as supplies needed in health care institutions, making it impossible for government promises to materialise.

 

C4MAN, which monitors and reviews implementation of the health budget, urged the federal government to reconsider scrapping the Midwives Services Scheme.

 

At the height of the scheme, about 417 women died for every 100,000 livebirths, but that figure rose to 567 deaths per 100,000 livebirths when the scheme began collapsing—and is still increasing.

 

He advised that funds from donors and the Basic Health Fund be channelled in the interim to sustain the Midwives Service Scheme, pending when good mechanism is introduced instead of scrapping the scheme.

 

Dr Tunde Segun, country director for MamaYe Evidence 4 Action, called on the government to provide comfortable youth-friendly services where health care providers can understand the peculiarities of handling adolescent health issues.

 

It is estimated nearly seven in 10 of women who die while giving birth are aged less than 18 years.

 

He attributed this increase to challenges like bad health care facilities, discrimination from health care providers, and lack of knowledge on pregnancy prevention among others.

 

He also called for a specific adolescent’s budget to tackle adolescent health issues.