The health sector is one of the policy dynamos and winning axes of the Tinubu administration. The reforms initiated to upskill the workforce, strengthen structural integrity, upgrade infrastructure, provide essential equipment and ensure efficiency in healthcare delivery are crystallizing with clear results.
In December 2023, President Bola Tinubu announced the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII). The program is an initiative of the Ministry of Health and Human Services under the Coordinating Minister of Health and Human Services, Dr. Muhammad Ali Pate.
The Nigeria Health Sector Innovation Investment Initiative is a strategic blueprint with sector-wide efforts to improve population health outcomes through the primary health care system and strengthen reproductive, maternal and child health services in the country. Primary health care is as fundamental as the substructure of a building in building a resilient, integrated health system. To that end, the Tinubu administration is undertaking a comprehensive overhaul of infrastructure and equipment, as well as retraining of frontline health workers.
Specifically, the administration will increase the number of primary health care centers (PHCs) functioning in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) from 8,809 to more than 17,600 by 2027; The country set out to increase the number of health workers by training 120,000 front-line health workers over the next month. To meet the demand created by new facilities, we will double the enrollment capacity of accredited nursing and midwifery institutions, and a paid volunteer youth corps of social responsibility officers will oversee the functioning and financial health of these primary health care centers. to be established.
Additionally, the administration sought to address high health costs and strengthen access to health services by redesigning the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF). The BHCPF is a fundamental element of a sector-wide approach, allowing pooling and non-pooling of funds to advance the national primary health care system.
So far, policy intentions and actions have yielded positive results.
Human resources for health – training 120,000 health workers
A total of 40,240 health workers have been trained so far, of which 36,087 are frontline health workers comprising doctors, nurses, midwives, CHEWs and JCHEWs providing clinical services in government-owned PHCs. It is. Additionally, 24 states and the FCT have completed Phase 1 training.
The first phase of training is expected to be completed in the remaining states in the coming months.Discussions with states are underway to accelerate the recruitment of health workers to fill PHC capacity gaps, starting with accelerating the transition of volunteers to full-time salaried staff.
The transitioned volunteers and newly hired health workers will be trained in the second phase. To ensure sustained and continuous development, an e-learning program has been developed and implemented.
community health programNPHCDA works with FMOHSW, state governments, and partners to redesign community health programs that expand essential health services to remote and underserved communities to improve health outcomes. I am.
Community health programs create 126,000 jobs for community health workers and include services provided in reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health and nutrition, routine immunizations, non-communicable diseases, HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, Health data collection, disease surveillance, risk communication, community engagement, health insurance.
Provision of reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health services
The redesigned Enhanced Midwifery Services Scheme (eMSS) delivers progressive outcomes across four key areas under reproductive, maternal, neonatal and pediatric health service delivery. The system expands and recruits skilled midwives to strengthen maternal and child health care across the country. Place 730 skilled midwives in priority PHC facilities (using eMSS as an interim solution for the first 6 months).
Quantification of RMNCH products was carried out for joint procurement. This enables the establishment of a reliable end-to-end system seed stock that ensures regular availability and visibility of MNCH goods in PHC facilities.
Traditional midwife referral and midwifery support service delivery models were developed to create demand and provide maternal and child health services to hard-to-reach communities.
Conducted service readiness assessments across 1,508 BHCPF health facilities to identify service gaps and improve maternal, child and reproductive health services (family planning, postnatal and post-miscarriage care, adolescent sexual and reproductive health, maternal defined the interventions needed to ensure the full range of health and gender outcomes. -based violence services).
A draft framework for sustainable product distribution is under development.
Revitalizing primary health care
8,421 health facilities across 36 states and the FCT were assessed. 1,786 Level 2 functional PHCs have been identified. These are PHCs that have everything a pregnant woman needs to safely deliver her baby 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Additionally, 5,447 level 1 functional PHCs and 1,189 partially functional PHCs were identified. These facilities are missing at least one critical component to be fully functional, but can provide basic PHC services (ANC, RI, etc.).
Revitalization efforts have begun to increase the number of functional medical facilities across the country. 577 primary health centers across the state have been identified by the federal government for revitalization. 2,737 primary health centers were targeted for activation by the state government. A public view dashboard showing facilities under construction and the status of revitalization.
Basic Healthcare Delivery Fund 2.0
The new set of guidelines is currently under consideration by the Ministerial Oversight Committee. With BHCPF 2.0, more facilities will receive Direct Facility Funding (DFF), which will increase from N300k to N600k to N800k per quarter.
PFMO also works to ensure transparency and improve the quality of PHC services by tracking financial and operational activities to support data-driven decision-making.
Data and digitization
NPHCDA has developed a comprehensive three-year digitalization agenda that includes facility capabilities and readiness, supply chain management, financial management, and regional health information systems.
The Facility Capability Dashboard is developed and operated by NPHCDA and is currently awaiting initial data updates. A public platform that provides a broad access view to ongoing PHC functions. Elaboration of citizen participation mechanisms is underway.
Routine immunizations and polio
Eighty-nine districts developed scale-up plans and launched identify, enumerate, and vaccinate (IEV) strategies to improve the quality and use of data in polio control campaigns.
The synchronized nOPV2 campaign is scheduled for October 25 and November 22 and will reach 38 million children across 20 states. HPV vaccination was carried out nationwide and 12,345,572 girls were vaccinated in 36+1 states.
Strengthening health campaigns
We began a diagnostic process to streamline our campaigns and make them more efficient and inclusive for our diverse audiences. Nigeria has joined the Collaborative Active Strategy (CAS) as one of two pilot countries, with the aim of effectively implementing health campaigns and strengthening the country’s health system. As a result, a technical working group was established tasked with aligning the CAS recommendations with Nigeria’s priorities and overseeing their implementation.
The World Bank’s recent approval of $1.57 billion to support Nigeria’s health sector takes into account health initiatives across the sector. The World Bank loan comes from the International Development Association (IDA) and is highly concessional, with a 10-year grace period and a 30-year repayment plan with zero interest.
The bank said the funds will be used to strengthen human capital through improving the health of women, children and adolescents. “The World Bank today announced a total of 1.5 billion Approved three $70 million projects: Dam Safety and Irrigation.
The new financing includes $500 million for Addressing Governance Issues Constraining Education and Health Delivery (HOPE-GOV), $570 million for the Primary Health Care Delivery Strengthening Program (HOPE-PHC), and Nigeria’s Sustainable Includes $500 million for major power and irrigation projects. (spin). Together, the HOPE-GOV and HOPE-PHC programs will help the Nigerian government improve service delivery in the basic education and primary health care sectors, which are critical to improving Nigeria’s human capital outcomes.” the bank said in a statement.
President Tinubu understands that health is not just the absence of disease, but the embodiment of physical, mental and social well-being. Therefore, his tireless efforts in this field have had a significant impact on the human capital index of the country.
Mr. Nwabufo is Senior Special Assistant to the President (Public Affairs)
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