Nigeria’s Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, in collaboration with State Ministries of Health, Development, partners and stakeholders, launched a robust Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) to accelerate the transformation of Nigeria’s health sector.
According to a statement signed by Dr. Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq, the National Coordinator of the SWAp Coordination Office, ahead of its media engagament, this management approach is set to transform the healthcare landscape across the country, ensuring that all Nigerians have access to quality healthcare services, regardless of their location or economic status.
The Sector Wide Approach (SWAp) is a coordinated management effort designed to overcome decades-long fragmentation and inefficiencies that have plagued the country’s health sector.
The statement said despite substantial investments, the sector has struggled with inadequate financing, limited human resources, poor data collection, insufficient infrastructure, and fragmented governance. These challenges have resulted in suboptimal health outcomes, with Nigeria bearing one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, among other poor health indices.
It said some of the key issues the Nigerian health system has prioritised, include inadequate and inequitable financing, stating that currently, only 3% of Nigeria’s GDP is allocated to healthcare, with just 40-60% of the federal budget for health being utilized effectively.
“SWAp aims to increase transparency and efficiency in the allocation and utilization of funds, ensuring that resources are directed towards priority areas and used to achieve measurable outcomes”, the statement read.
Other key issues prioritised by the country’s health system includes human resources for health and health data and infrastructure.
The statement said SWAp will focus on improving the distribution and availability of skilled healthcare workers across the country, especially in underserved areas and added that the reliability and use of health data in Nigeria have been severely compromised, with reports showing discrepancies, such as a 159.7% DPT3 immunization rate reported by Nigeria versus 55°o from WHO surveys. “Additionally, only 0.5 hospital beds are available per 1,000 people, compared to the WHO guideline of 4 per 1,000”, it said.
“SWAp will prioritize strengthening data collection, the overall health infrastructure and itsmaintenance, among others, to support informed decision-making and improve quality service delivery”, it stated
It also said that by 2027, through a better coordinated health sector which harnesses the frontline efforts of local governments, the governance and execution strengths of states, and policy stewardship of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Nigeria hopes to create a unified, transparent, and accountable health sector that operates as a coordinated unit across all levels; alongside our development partners.
Through this Sector Wide Approach, it is hoped that as a collective, there will be increased local production capacity, increased local production capacity, improved response to health threats, more applied data in decision making, and expansion in access to healthcare.
Concerning media engagement, the statement further reassured SWAp’s Coordination Office commitment to transparency and open communication with the public, and to strengthen this point, the office has launched a dedicated media relations portal (swap.gov.ng/media) to provide timely updates, access to information, and opportunities for media professionals to engage with the initiative, and drive accountability.
“We believe that a coordinated and transparent approach is key to achieving our health sector goals. Through SWAp, we are not only addressing current challenges but also laying the foundation of accountability for this reforms approach”, the statement concluded.
During the media briefing on Wednesday in Abuja, the Director of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) and Secretary of the Ministerial Oversight Committee (MOC), Dr. Mukhtar Mohammed said 12.9 bn Naira is yet to be disbursed for 2024. Already, the Nigerian government has disbursed 130.8 bn Naira for health care delivery through the BHCPF since it became operational in 2019.
The Fund which is disbursed through four gateways, was established by the National Health Act, purposed to ensure that basic health care services are accessible to every Nigerian, including the most vulnerable. The gateways include the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Nigeria Centre For Disease Control (NCDC), National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and the National Emergency Treatment Committee (NEMTC).
According to Mukhtar Mohammed, the disbursed fund constitutes a percent of the Federal Government Consolidated Revenue Fund and donor contributions to strengthen the Nigerian health care delivery.
He said funds are needed to support development of resilience, through infrastructure, human resource essential services available at primary healthcare centres, including completed referral mechanisms.
Dr. Ashiri Adamu Abubakar of the Nigerian Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII) said SWAp has made strategic plans to improve healthcare outcomes in the country and added that it’s a management approach aimed at building a more cohesive, effective and sustainable health sector, adding that all stakeholders must consider the sector as a whole to endorse strategies, measure progress and agree on revisions.
He said lack of effective governance is a major challenge and added that improvement in oversight mechanisms, enforcing the National Health Act, accountability, engaging stakeholders, and fostering effective partnerships are vital in delivering healthcare services.
Dr. Saidu Ahmed, the Secretary, National Emergency Medical Treatment Committee (NEMTC) said five percent of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) is administered through NEMTC, with oversight from the National Emergency Medical Treatment Committee,NEMTC which acts as a board.