COVID-19 : Group urges FG to prioritise health, sustain its funding

Health

By Abujah Racheal

Abuja, March 18, 2020 (NAN) National Advocates for Health (NA4H) has urged Federal Government to prioritise health as a political agenda and sustain its funding amid the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and crashed global oil price.

The Chairman of NA4H, Prof. Oladapo Ladipo, made the call in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.

Ladipo stated that the evidence of COVID-19 adverse impact on the health sector, banking sector, the economy, the social distancing and lockdown of regions were strong justifications for government to prioritise health.

He commended efforts of government and all its agencies in speedy response to COVID-19 through screening, surveillance at the borders, setting up isolation centres for quarantine, release of emergency funds and inauguration of the presidential task-force on COVID-19 control.

He added that “but in spite of efforts of Federal Government, we note the non-compliance with the Abuja Declaration of Allocation of 15 per cent of national revenue to the Health sector.

“The non-compliance is causing gross under-funding of the health sector, which is responsible for our dysfunctional healthcare system.

“The result of it are medical tourism and human capital flight to greener pastures, resulting in inequitable distribution of health manpower and unacceptable preventable mortality and morbidity.

Ladipo observed that the  Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) of N44.50 billion was captured in part C of the 2020 approved budget ‘Statutory Transfers’ as against in 2019 that was captured as part of servicewide vote.

He said that this was good news as it would be more protected.

“About N46 billion is allocated and approved for the Health Capital Budget with bulk of it committed to immunisation. This is a testimony that we have prioritised the health and wellbeing of our children.

“A total of N1.5 billion is for Expanded Midwives Service Scheme, N729 Million for Cancer Fund and N1.2 Billion for Family Planning Procurement, which is an international commitment to FP2020.”

He said that while the aforementioned allocations were already appropriated in the 2020 approved budget, implementation of the overall 2020 budget may suffer cuts and delay in disbursement, as COVID-19 continued to impact on the global oil market which government substantially relied on to finance the budget.

“When revenue falls, we are aware that Section 28 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act empowers the Minister of Finance on budgetary matters as follows.

“Where, by the end of three months, after the enactment of the Appropriation Act, the Minister determines that the targeted revenues may be insufficient to fund the heads of expenditure in the Appropriation Act.

“The Minister shall, within the next 30 days of such determination, take appropriate measures to restrict further commitments and financial operations according to the criteria set-in the Fiscal Risk Appendix – such provisions shall not apply to Statutory or constitutional expenditure.”

The Chairman said that in spite of having such powers by the Fiscal Responsibility Act, Federal Government should prioritise health as a political agenda and ensure its funding were released on time and in full.

“The Federal Government should also ensure effective implementation of the National Action Plan for Health Security (2018-2022).

“As the saying goes, health is wealth and Nigeria’s ability to respond to the COVID-19 and economic crises relies on its healthy population and healthy workforce,” he added. (NAN)

AIR/OIF’/HA
Edited by Ifeyinwa Okonnkwo/ Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu