Nigeria’s Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole has inaugurated a group of 26 eminent Nigerians (THE Advocates), as National Advocates for Health.
Drawn from various spectrum, the body is to promote systems approach to healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
Inaugurating the team in Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital, the minister enjoined ‘The Advocates’ to help change the narrative on health at different levels within the country.
Prof Adewole emphasized the need for the advocates to use their influence and networks to advocate improved health service delivery in Nigeria, most importantly at the grassroots.
He promised federal government’s commitment towards improved, refurbished and repositioned healthcare system that will accommodate issues of family planning.
The Minister decried the looming population as a disaster in waiting and therefore called for collective advocacy towards population control. “We cannot allow our population to double in 2020 as I fear its explosion will lead to more problems. Demographic dividends should be the expectation instead of demographic disasters,” he stated.
The advocates include, Prof. O.A Ladipo, Amb. Sunday Dogonyaro, Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, Amina Bosede Omoti, Dr. Aminu Magashi Garba, Anthonia Ifeyinwa Omowole, Sen. Ayo Adeseun, Dr. Ekpedeme Udom, Dr. Gloria Laraba Shoda, Mrs. Omobolade Abumere.
Others are , Dr. Halima Yalwa Adamu, Ibrahim Tafawa Balewa, Dr. Ibrahim Wada, Mr. Iliya Kure, Prof. Joy Ezilo, Dr. Laz Ude Eze, Mrs. Margaret Bolaji, Mrs. Moji Makanjuola , Muhammad Nurudeen Lemu, Usman Muhammad, Olusegun Adeniyi, Sani Umar Jabbi, Saudatu Sani, Bishop Sunday Onuoha, and Dr. Uwemedimo Uko Esiet.
https://www.africaprimenews.com/2017/11/02/health/nigeria-governor-ganduje-signs-kano-state-health-trust-fund-law/
Members of ‘THE Advocates’ were selected and trained in April 2017 by Health Policy Plus (HP+), a Project funded by USAID, and implemented by a consortium led by Palladium, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health.
The HP+ project was implemented in three states Sokoto, Bauchi and Ebonyi in 2017.
Through the efforts of ‘THE Advocates’, these states recorded a remarkable increase in budget allocation for family planning.
Reports say, members of the group have been engaging with stakeholders across the country on key issues affecting the health sector which include, improved budgetary allocation for health, release of the 1% Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, allocation of 15% national budget to health and lots more.
At the meeting facilitated by Federal Ministry of Health and HP+, the National Advocates shared the immediate results of their targeted advocacy to key stakeholders and resolved to step up their advocacies for better funding of health care.
They identified the implementation of the National Health Act of 2014 (NHAct 2014), as one of the key opportunities that has remained difficult to realize.
The NHAct 2014 which provides for the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) has the potential of improving funding for the Health Sector and making Universal Health Coverage (UHC) goal, achievable.
The National Advocates proposed to explore possible options to see to the appropriation of the NHAct 2014 in future budgets.
Furthermore, the group is considering the introduction of Innovative Financing Mechanism that will allow for the harnessing of private sector funding for the Nigeria health system and reduce the dependence on external donor funding.
