FG releases N40.7bn for healthcare, expands support to 13,000 PHCs

The Federal Government has approved N40.7 billion for distribution to states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), while extending support to more than 13,000 primary healthcare facilities to improve access to essential health services.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during the 16th BHCPF Ministerial Oversight Committee (MOC) meeting.

Pate said increased government revenue had boosted funding for primary healthcare, with monthly disbursements into the fund and allocations to states almost doubling following the fiscal reforms introduced by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

He said the committee had approved the inclusion of 5,000 additional facilities in the scheme, bringing the number of primary healthcare centres benefiting from it to more than 13,000.

According to him, the selection of the additional facilities would be based on equity considerations, including disease burden, population size and distance to healthcare services.

“The monthly disbursements into the fund have almost doubled, as well as what the states are receiving, and we’re channelling those increased resources to support primary healthcare delivery in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory,” he said.

The minister said the N40.7 billion represented the Federal Government’s contribution from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, urging state and local governments to increase their healthcare spending to complement the intervention.

“That’s not the limit. States should at least put that alongside the local government and even do more, because these are issues at the subnational level,” he said.

Pate said the committee also discussed measures to improve access to quality and affordable medical commodities and ensure that funds were effectively deployed to deliver better health outcomes.

On healthcare staffing, he said savings made through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) would be used to recruit frontline health workers, with plans to transfer responsibility for their employment to state governments over the next three years.

He urged states to prepare for the transition and recruit additional personnel to address staffing shortages in primary healthcare facilities.

The minister also expressed concern about disease outbreaks, particularly Lassa fever, cholera and diphtheria, calling for increased state-level funding and stronger preventive measures.

He said the cholera outbreak had recorded a low case fatality rate, although about 95 per cent of cases were concentrated in one state. He added that deaths associated with Lassa fever remained a concern.

Pate urged parents to ensure their children received routine vaccinations against diphtheria, noting that the disease was vaccine-preventable and that immunisation reduced the risk of infection.

He called on civil society organisations, community leaders, the media and the joint task force involving the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to monitor the fund’s utilisation and ensure that resources reached frontline healthcare facilities.

“We will continue to ensure that the resources get to their intended destinations and be useful for the intended purpose,” he said.

In his remarks, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, said the Federal Government was focusing on the effective use of healthcare funds alongside efforts to expand funding and access to services.

Salako said the ministry was working with civil society organisations and the ICPC to strengthen accountability. He added that the government was exploring joint procurement of medical commodities to secure better prices for products supplied to primary healthcare facilities.

He said improved procurement arrangements would help ensure that available resources delivered greater benefits to patients.

The minister of state also disclosed that the committee had approved the inclusion of prisoners in the Vulnerable Group Health Insurance Fund, a decision expected to extend basic healthcare coverage to about 90,000 inmates nationwide.

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“As we look to expand the people that are covered under health insurance, we are also giving a lot of priority attention to people who are vulnerable, including prisoners,” Salako said.

He said the decision was aimed at improving access to essential health services for vulnerable populations as part of the Federal Government’s efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery.