Federal Ministry of Health says it planned to access the 40 million Dollar Global Financing Facility (GFF) to halt maternal, newborn, child and adolescent deaths by 2030.
Mrs Boade Akinola, the Director, Media and Public Relations of the ministry made this known in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja.
She stated that the facility was an innovative financing strategy critical to achieving key results in enhancing the lives of mothers and children.
She added that the result could be achieved through smart, scaled and sustainable domestic financing of priority investments in Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child and Adolescent Healthcare (RMNCAH).
She quoted Dr Adebimpe Adebiyi, the Director, Department of Family Health and Co-Chair, GFF Country Platform, as saying “it was paramount for Nigeria to leverage on innovative and strategic measures.
“This is so in addressing the peculiar challenges confronting the wellbeing of her citizens.”
Adebiyi said the GFF Country Platform was set to drive the process with its first assignment being to develop credible RMNCAH + Nutrition Investment case, a pre-requisite for accessing the grant facility.
According to her, the fund will support the scaling-up of Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) in Nigeria with Niger, Abia and Ondo, to be used as pilot states.
She disclosed that the GFF process was expected to yield cumulative effects and eventual economic growth by preventing 24 to 38 million deaths of women, adolescents and children.
“Nigeria is one of the second wave countries out of 26 to benefit from the GFF, a grant of 40 million Dollars.
“Fifty per cent of this has been earmarked for health sector response in the North East,’’ she said.
Akinola also quoted Mr Luc Laviolette, as saying GFF was a country-driven process which entailed
prioritising interventions; thus it was essential to have an investment case before grants could be released.
Laviolette, who is the Lead Health Specialist and GFF focal Person for Nigeria, urged well-meaning Nigerians to assist states and local government authorities in making the project a success. (NAN)
