Saving one million lives

Isa:  I am not disturbed about this type of ‘debt’ because we need it.  The issue precedes this government and the process started a long time ago.  In April 2015, just before handing over, the Jonathan administration completed the formality with the World Bank.Ayo:  What do you mean by ‘formality’. They just want to leave […]

Isa:  I am not disturbed about this type of ‘debt’ because we need it.  The issue precedes this government and the process started a long time ago.  In April 2015, just before handing over, the Jonathan administration completed the formality with the World Bank.
Ayo:  What do you mean by ‘formality’. They just want to leave the in coming government with huge liabilities.
Isa: This is different. The $500 million is International Development Association (IDA) credit for Nigeria. The IDA is the window of the World Bank which offers grants and low- to zero-interest loans for projects and programmes that boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve standard of living. The facility granted Nigeria was designed to bring about significant improvements in maternal, child, and nutrition health services for women and children in the country.
Habiba: No Isa. I am disturbed about any type of loan because we have enough resources in this country that we do not need loans for projects and programmes. Our problem is the mind boggling corruption that is stifling us and turning us into a pauper nation. The other problem is leadership deficit. We lack leaders with vision who genuinely care about the people. What we have is a group of looters and opportunists.
Lucy: I agree with Habiba until we demand accountability from those at the helm of affairs we’ll continue to pay debts with nothing on the ground to show for it.
Isa: I agree with you that we must address corruption and demand accountability from those who preside over our affairs but let me explain why I am happy with this facility granted to Nigeria.  In 2012, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg of Norway and Chelsea Clinton, in her capacity as Board Member of Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), came  to Nigeria to join former President Goodluck Jonathan and (then) Honourable Minister of State for Health, Dr. Muhammad Ali Pate, to launch the Saving One Million Lives (SOML) initiative with support from CHAI.
Chinyere: Ok I remember attending the launch in Abuja but did not hear anything thereafter.
Isa:  A lot was being done and the $500m facility is the result. The rationale for the initiative was to help Nigeria with reduction of maternal and child mortality. An estimated one million mothers and children die each year from preventable causes. As a result, the Federal Ministry of Health decided to set new goals to improve quality healthcare from 2013 and save the lives of Nigerian mothers and children.
Ayo: Yes. That is a worthy cause to champion and I know that health sector experts and stakeholders all credit Dr. Pate as the initiator of the SOML initiative. But do we have to borrow money to implement the project?
Habiba: I know that the Ministry of Finance was involved in negotiating this aid to Nigeria because paying it back at zero interest  will not be a burden
Isa: Am glad you understand this because the healthcare challenges the $500 million credit is supposed to help address are enormous. Nigeria accounts for 14% of all annual maternal deaths worldwide, second only to India at 17%. Similarly, the country accounts for 13% of all global deaths of children under the age of five years, again second only to India at 21%. Lucy: The loan will be used only for maternal and child health?
Isa: It will be used to address the challenge of estimated annual 900,000 maternal and child deaths, SOML focuses on increasing the use of high-impact reproductive and child health and nutrition interventions, and improving the quality of these services; strengthening monitoring and evaluation systems and measurement data; encouraging private sector innovation; and increasing transparency in management and budgeting for Primary Health Care (PHC) in the country.
Chinyere: The World Bank Group says the new health operation will be implemented from August 1, 2015 to December 2019. The accountability component is impressive. 
Isa: Yes. SOML will utilize the World Bank Programme-for-Results (PforR) instrument to encourage a greater focus on results. There will be no business as usual. The project will increase accountability, improve measurements, strengthen management, and foster innovation. Importantly, the PforR funds will only be disbursed to the Federal and State governments for independently verified improvements in key services.
Lucy: What are these key services>
Isa: They include  vaccination coverage among young children, rates of contraceptive use, Vitamin A supplementation, skilled birth attendance, HIV counselling and testing among women attending antenatal care, and preventing new malaria infections among children by using insecticide-treated bed nets. Also, the Federal and State governments will receive incentive payments for effective tackling of governance and management issues in the health sector and for improving the quality of basic health services.
Isa: General Muhammadu Buhari now has the responsibility of successful utilisation of the IDA credit. One can count on the passion he has to serve the people.
Lucy:  There is high hope that the $500 million funding will deliver its objectives, and further general improvement in healthcare delivery in Nigeria will be realised over the next four years.
Ayo: Sounds exciting but we need for a competent person to serve as Minister of Health who will drive the process.  President Buhari  should  appointment  a Nigerian with experience in result-based budgeting as Minister of Health  who will boost the chances of success in the implementation of health policies and foster judicious use of available resources.