By Daniel Tyokua
A Civil Society Organisation (CSO), Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN), has listed key health demands to the new political office holders across the country.
Speaking at a 2- day meeting with Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs), media and young people, the group reechoed the need for more budgetary provisions, transparency and accountability from strategic leaders for efficient health system.
Speaking, Health Economist and Monitoring/Evaluation Specialist of the AHBN, Maimuna Abdullahi, charged the new leaders at all levels to take into account health measures that will lead to the realization of the the Nigeria Family Planning (FP 2030 ) commitment, and also take care of the needs of women, children adolescent and elderly in the society.
She noted that Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) which are closer to the people must be well funded and provided with enough manpower and requisite equipment.
According to her, Nigeria currently ranks as the highest contributor to maternal deaths and the second largest contributor to neonatal deaths globally.
“The new political office holders at all levels must take the Nigeria Family Planning (FP-30) commitment and Every Newborn Action Plan and Ending preventable Maternal Mortality ( ENAP-EPMM) targets in Nigeria more serious,” she said.
Maimuna also called on the leaders to continue with conversation on how the teaming young people in Nigeria can best benefit from them.
In her submissions, the co-chair, Meaningful Adolescent and Youth Engagement (MAYE), Adams Taibat Onize, who congratulated the new government for signing the student loan bill into law, said the initiative is a signal that the new government is attentive to the needs of young people in the country, which health aspect is not an exception.
She said the new leaders should allocate 15% of the national budget to health and recognize adolescent and youth as part of the vulnerable population for social health insurance.
Taibat said: “The new government should increase the training capacity of health workers in institutions to mitigate low human resource, implement and domesticate the mental health bill and reduce the age of access to HIV testing to 14 in curbing its spread.
Taibat also identified health, education, employment and economic empowerment, human rights and sustainability and climate actions as key areas of special interest.
