By Hassan Zaggi
The effort of the Federal Government to halt the incidences of maternal mortality in Nigeria is yielding the desired results, though very slow, the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Muyi Aina, has disclosed.
He stated this at a one-day strategic engagement organised by the NPHCDA in collaboration with the Nigeria Universal Health Care (UHC) Forum with support from Options Consultancy Services, in Abuja, on Thursday.
The event, according to the organisers, was aimed at harnessing multi-stakeholder approaches to strengthening PHC delivery and accountability and identifying the roles of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and other non-state actors in the successful implementation of NPHCDA’s strategic vision for advancing Nigeria’s UHC quest.
Dr. Aina, however, attributed the slow progress made in fighting maternal mortality in the country to what he described as inefficiency in healthcare spending, poor allocation and resource utilization.
“We don’t spend right. If we spend what we have on ground right, we will cover a lot of gaps,” the NPHCDA boss stressed.
While calling for more strategic and coordinated approaches to healthcare investment in the country, Dr. Aina lamented that as at year 2020, Nigeria had the global highest maternal mortality rate of 1,047 deaths per 100,000 live births.
According to him, his Agency is making concerted efforts to build on the achievements of that past and also accelerate progress.
He, however, clarified that the NPHCDA does not operate health facilities directly but that it provides technical support and guidance to states and local governments.
“Instead, NPHCDA supports states and local government in improving their healthcare services, focusing on policy development, guidance and resource mobilization.
“There is a strong emphasis on the efficient use of available resources. While funding is crucial, the real issue is how resources are allocated and utilized.
“Efficient coordination, avoiding duplication of efforts and focusing on the quality of spending rather than just the quantity of funds are important,” he stressed.
Speaking, the Managing Partner at DCI Consult, Dr. Gafar Alawode, reiterated the relevance of drawing a robust policy analysis that will help in making informed decisions on the recent autonomy granted to local governments in the country and its impact on primary healthcare.
He, However, charged the NPHCDA to carry CSOs along and tap from their expertise and experiences, especially, when interfacing with local governments across the country.
Dr. Alawode expressed confidence that with the current efforts by the NPHCDA to collaborate with key stakeholders in the health sector, issues around duplication of efforts will be tackled.
He advocated for community involvement and transparency in the efforts to improve healthcare services across the country.
Earlier, the Regional Director of Options Consultancy Services, Dr. Ufuoma Omo-Obi, emphasized the need for the government, CSOs, and the local communities to come together and create a workable template that will aid the implementation of health policies and programmes across the country.
He further called for the effective implementation of federal policies at the states and local governments levels for the benefit of Nigerians at the grassroots.
Dr. Omo-Obi, however, charged critical stakeholders in the health sector to contribute in their own way to the attainment of UHC in the country.
