By Chimezie Godfrey
The National Association of Community Health Practitioners (NACHPN) in conjunction with (DRPC) and PACFAH, has called on the National Assembly and all relevant stakeholders to do the needful by improving funding for Nigerians health system beginning from 2018 appropriation Bill.
The call was made by the National President of NACHPN, comrade Akor O. Jude, and its acting General secretary, Ibama Asiton A.S, during a press conference themed “ understanding the falling 2018 Health budget held today at Bolton White Hotel, Abuja.
While briefing journalists,Ibama said it was discovered that the overall National Budget of Nigeria has grown by 92% from 4.49 trillion in 2015 to 8.61 trillion in 2018, the same cannot be said of the Health Budget, The health budget has only grown by a small 14%. The prosperity of the country reflected in the growth of the national Budget has unfortunately not yet been fully felt in Health sector.
More worrisome is the fact that the 2018 Health budget as a proportion of total national budget is only 3.9%, Ibama said, “This is the lowest share of national budget allocated to health sector in recent times.
He added,“I will like to draw your attention that in 2015 5.7% of the total National budget was allocated to health, but by 2018 it is only 3.9% this is a fall of about 2%.”
Furthermore, he said that the impact of poor budget in Nigeria is very obvious the federal government has about 30,000 primary health care buildings with only 20% functional, that means that about 86% is not functioning.”
In the same vein, comrade Jude, said that in 2001, Nigeria signed a document called “ the Abuja Declaration together with other African leaders which promised to allocate 15% of total budget to health. The 3.9% share of total budget proposed for health in NASS in Abuja is not in fulfillment of Abuja Declaration. “This is not good enough for Nigerians.
“Does the 2018 health budget provide enough resources to consolidate the good work of the Primary Health Care Providers working within the policy of Primary Health Care Under One Roof.
“Will this budgets enable the Federal Minister of health to keep his promise of revitalizing 10, 000 PHCs,” he asked.
He prayed the government to make adequate budgetary provision for Health in the budget, by implementing in full, its own important national health policies, the National Health Act 2018 and the Primary Health Care Under One Roof Policy
