Reps promise adequate oversight on child, family health budget

The House of Representatives and a coalition of seven civil society groups are to iron out modalities to effectively oversight spending on child and family health in the 2016 budget. Chairman of the House committee on health care services, Chike Okafor, said in talks with Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) that the committee will […]

The House of Representatives and a coalition of seven civil society groups are to iron out modalities to effectively oversight spending on child and family health in the 2016 budget.
Chairman of the House committee on health care services, Chike Okafor, said in talks with Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) that the committee will give deserved attention through adequate oversight to ensure timely release and judicious use of funds appropriated for family and child health.
He spoke during a visit by CISLAC, part of the seven-group Partnership for the Advancement of Child and Family Health (PACFaH).
In a submission to the committee, Chinwe Onumonu, project director for Association for the Advancement of Family Planning (AAFP) the number of women dying from childbirth complications was equivalent to 111 women and young girls dying daily or five women every hour.
“Up to 30 percent of these deaths can be prevented by increasing access to and uptake of contraceptives,” she added. At least 16 in 100 women want to use a form of contraception but cannot get it, and contraceptive use has remained low across the country, pushing up fertility rates and depressing health status of women and children, according to health data.
“Specifically, use your oversight function to ensure that the budget for FP in this 2016 is released timely and used for the purpose it is meant; and ensure that the 2017 budget provides adequately for operationalisation of the Nigeria Family Planning Blueprint,” Onumonu said.
CISLAC programme manager Chioma Kanu urged the committee to ensure Nigeria fulfilled commitments to counterpart arrangements that fund child and family health services.
PACFaH also wants attention to routine immunisation, childhood killer diseases and nutrition.