Story highlights
Building on lessons learned from previous initiatives supported by the World Bank and GFF, the government announced the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative. This is a bold plan designed to drastically reduce maternal and child mortality. The initiative takes a sector-wide approach (SWAP), fostering collaboration among partners around national health priorities, which are critical in resource-limited settings. As part of this effort, the World Bank recently approved a $570 million project to transform primary health care and reach 40 million vulnerable people, especially women and children. did. The initiative brings together funding from multiple partners, with a $500 million grant from the World Bank and a $70 million grant from the GFF, with co-financing from the UK Foreign Office and the Children’s Investment Foundation Fund. We also receive donations from These funds will help fill critical funding gaps for the delivery of primary health services and family planning products to the most vulnerable communities.
Hajiya Aishatu lives on the outskirts of Tudun Wada, Gombe State, Nigeria. She runs a shop outside her home that sells cold drinks and other products. Her older children often help out with the business while the younger children are still in school. She remembers delivering her children at Tudung Wada Primary Health Care Facility.
“I placed all my children in this facility,” she says. My family is grateful for everything the doctors and nurses have done for us here. They supported me throughout my birth and took care of my baby. I am happy to see my children grow up healthy. As parents, we want what’s best for our children. ”
Hajiya’s story illustrates the broader national efforts over the past few years to improve maternal and child health services across Nigeria, especially in underserved areas. Nigeria has the highest maternal and child mortality rate in the world, with maternal mortality accounting for 20% of the global burden.
Through the establishment of the Basic Healthcare Delivery Fund, the government was able to direct more resources to primary healthcare across the country. With funding and technical assistance from the Global Financial Facility for Women, Children and Youth (GFF), the program was piloted in three states and mobilized government resources to expand the program across the country. The initiative has strengthened approximately 900 primary health care facilities with critical infrastructure such as maternity wards, medicines, and skilled health workers. Services such as childbirth and pregnancy medication were provided free of charge, and some facilities even paid for midwives to travel to isolated areas.
At the same time, GFF and the World Bank are supporting the Nigeria National Health Investment Project to reach communities in northeastern Nigeria, where many people are without access to health care in the face of conflict and weakened health systems. did. As a result, safe birth rates rose from 22% to 68% compared to pre-pandemic 2014 and 2020, and the number of children vaccinated each year tripled to 1 million. Reached.
I learned a lot from the health center counselors and now I can share that information with the community. When I grow up, I want to become a doctor and help others manage their health.
Mariam Isha
Given Nigeria’s large youth population, youth health was also a priority. Through the Accelerating Nutrition Outcomes project supported by the World Bank and GFF in Kaduna State, adolescent girls have access to better information and counseling on family planning, leading to increased use of modern contraceptives. Masu. Highly trained health workers will also visit the community and provide nutrition advice to families. The project provided nutrition services to more than 7 million children under five and nearly 5 million pregnant women, and supported the treatment of 2.6 million children at risk of severe malnutrition. .
These efforts have empowered young women like 17-year-old Mariam Isha. She points out that using these services can change lives.
I learned a lot from the health center counselors and now I can share that information with the community. When I grow up, I want to become a doctor and help others take control of their health,” says Isha.
Challenges continue
Despite significant progress, challenges remain. Women, children and youth health remains underfunded. As a result, women and children are dying preventable deaths, especially in areas where there is a lack of well-equipped health facilities and human resources.
Zainab Umar Chiroma, the facility manager at Tudung Wada, points out that staff shortages and long waiting times continue.
“Previously, there were more motivated health workers because of better conditions and pay, but now things are changing,” she says.
The recent economic recession has exacerbated these problems, making health care services unaffordable for many. Many women forego prenatal diagnosis and choose traditional healers instead. Sumaiya Yakub, a patient at Tudung Wada, said many women also choose to give birth at home to avoid costs, undermining the benefits of giving birth in a hospital.
“It used to be that everything was free and that was a big incentive for women to give birth. Honestly, now so many women want to give birth at home. At least they don’t have to pay anything. Because we don’t have any,” Yakub laments.
way forward
The scale of the challenge is daunting, but with the support of development partners, Nigeria is taking decisive steps to prioritize the health of women and children.
Building on lessons learned from past efforts, the government announced the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative. This is a bold plan aimed at drastically reducing maternal and child mortality rates.
The initiative takes a sector-wide approach (SWAp) to foster collaboration among partners around national health priorities that are critical in resource-limited settings. The World Bank’s recently approved $570 million primary health project is an example of bringing together funding from multiple partners. The new funding is made up of $500 million from the World Bank and $70 million in grants from the GFF, and also includes contributions from the UK Foreign Office and the Children’s Investment Foundation Fund through co-financing with the GFF. . These funds will help fill critical funding gaps for the delivery of primary health services and family planning products to the most vulnerable communities.
As Nigeria navigates this pivotal period, government commitments to collaboration and strategic investment offer a promising pathway to transform the health sector, potentially saving countless lives and ensuring that every woman, every child , ensuring young people’s right to health.
