Increase health funding to attain SDGs, says ex-minister

A former minister of health, Professor Eyitayo Lambo, has enjoined the federal government to increase budgetary allocation to attain the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and health targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Lambo made the remark in Abuja at the 2016 Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Nigerian Medical Association […]

A former minister of health, Professor Eyitayo Lambo, has enjoined the federal government to increase budgetary allocation to attain the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and health targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
Lambo made the remark in Abuja at the 2016 Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Federal Capital Territory (FCT)chapter.
He said, “It is a great disappointment that we have been able to achieve less than seven percent health insurance coverage of the population 11 years after the launch of the formal sector programme of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
He listed some of the requirements for the attainment of Universal Health Coverage as a well-designed and functioning health system; a broad, reliable and sustainable health financing system that assures sufficient financial resources for health; extensive risk-pooling of available funding for health; and efficient use of pooled funds in particular through strategic purchasing.
The outgoing chairman of the NMA-FCT, Dr. Fatima Zara Mairami, said the award they presented to Dr Lambo was in recognition of his sterling qualities and invaluable contributions to the Nigerian health space.