Omowumi Semudara
The Centre for Social Justice has proposed a omprehensive reform agenda for the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration. The proposed agenda aims to tackle issues such as rising inflation, fuel subsidy removal, exchange rate unification, poor funding of the sector, implementation of the National Health Insurance Authority Act, accountability, health infrastructure, and the brain drain of health professionals facing the nation.
The agenda also includes recommendations on palliative measures, improving resources for the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), optimizing service delivery, functionalizing the NHIAA and the compulsory health insurance regime, budget and procurement reform, transparency and accountability, health infrastructure development, and improving the availability of human resources for health.
The group’s agenda was contained in a statement issued on Monday by its Lead Director, Eze Onyekpere.
According to the group, one of the critical challenges highlighted is rising inflation, which has negatively impacted the health sector. The agenda calls for the sector to ensure that resources available to it keep pace with the inflationary spiral.
While noting that rising inflation had negatively impacted the health sector, CSJ said the agenda tasked the sector to ensure it makes resources available to keep pace with the inflationary spiral.
Concerning the removal of fuel subsidy, which it said is projected to save trillions of naira, the group emphasised the need to address the downsides and mitigate the impact of the policy on the health sector while raising questions about the proposed palliatives and the need for the health sector to advocate for its fair share of resources.
The also noted the poor funding of the health sector and the fiscal crisis which have resulted in low health indicators and high out-of-pocket health expenditure, the agenda proposes attractive non-budgetary funds from the private sector and tapping into constituency project funds of legislators to increase funding for the sector.
The group’s agenda also called for the activation of the mandatory health insurance scheme and the pooling of funds to reduce the high-level out-of-pocket health expenditure to provide social health insurance access to the poor and vulnerable without premiums.
The full implementation of the National Health Insurance Authority Act (NHIAA) and the move towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is emphasized as imperative. The agenda calls for the activation of the mandatory health insurance scheme and the pooling of funds to reduce the high-level out-of-pocket health expenditure. It suggests using the National Social Register to provide social health insurance access to the poor and vulnerable without premiums.
The agenda also highlights the need to improve the utilization and transparency of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) and ensure accountability in the health sector. It recommends the establishment of a Health Development Bank of Nigeria to provide funding for health infrastructure and equipment at affordable interest rates. Additionally, the agenda addresses the brain drain of health professionals and emphasizes the importance of investing in medical human resource development.
As part of the measures to improve the utilisation and transparency of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, BHCPF, and ensure accountability in the health sector, CSJ also recommended the establishment of a Health Development Bank of Nigeria to provide funding for health infrastructure and equipment at affordable interest rates.
