We’re taking measures to address healthcare funding, policies’ gaps, Pate tells Reps

The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate has said Nigeria is doing everything to address all funding and policies gaps in order to tackle the challenges in the nation’s healthcare system especially in the face of the cut in funding by the United States. He stated this while speaking at an […]

The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate has said Nigeria is doing everything to address all funding and policies gaps in order to tackle the challenges in the nation’s healthcare system especially in the face of the cut in funding by the United States.

He stated this while speaking at an interactive session with the House Committee on AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria on Thursday.

He said though the US decision was sudden, its impact was reduced as a result of the various measures put in place earlier by the federal government through policies and interventions.

He said, “So, the changes that have occurred in the landscape, which brought to this conversation, particularly the adjustment in U.S. policy, certainly it’s a major shift in U.S. government policy. When we looked at it from our side, we understood that in fact it’s an opportunity for research.

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“And we appreciate the contribution of the U.S. government, the billions of dollars of U.S. government and U.S. people’s resources that help, but the responsibility to provide for the country is on us immediately.

“And while we appreciate what has happened in the past, now we have to look at how we orient ourselves to improve and continue so that no Nigerian who is doing technical care will go without treatment for HIV, for instance, malaria or other conditions.

“This change occurred at a point when we were 18 months old. We were able to have a lot of financial support because health care was very important. So, we have now found that as part of our investment plan, we have an opportunity to do this. We now have another responsibility of putting more money into the health sector.

“So, coming to the issues of HIV and tuberculosis in Nigeria, for 20, 25 years, external parties have largely funded HIV, TB, and malaria in Nigeria. And we appreciate those contributions that they have made. Because they save lives.

“They have the laboratory capacity as well as the public health capacity. And it’s welcome. And when I mentioned external parties, this included the U.S. government through the DEFRA programme, the USAID, through the malaria programme.

“But there are also other bilateral partners, local health organisations, local funders and others who comprise this 10%, but those 10% largely have been outside government systems. They were contracted to external parties to deliver their assistance to Nigeria through the channels that they control”.

Professor Pate said what helped the country were many programmes and interventions that had started yielding results in the healthcare sector through collaboration between the federal, state and local governments in the country.

In his address earlier, Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Amobi Godwin Ogah said the meeting with the minister was to ensure that programmes and projects relating to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, leprosy and malaria were implemented seamlessly without bottlenecks because of their critical importance in saving the lives of Nigerians.