Maternal mortality: APC to allocate 15% annual budget to health

The All Progressives Congress-controlled states have agreed to allocate and release 15 per cent of their annual budgets to health sector to improve maternal and child healthcare service delivery in their states.

This was part of the resolutions reached at the end of a meeting of Commissioners for Health and Executive Secretaries of Primary Health Care Development Agency in APC-controlled states in Ilorin.

The meeting also agreed to strengthen coordination of initiatives to fast track implementation of policy initiatives on maternal and child health service delivery by the Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF).

According to the communiqué issued in Abuja on Sunday, the meeting, with the theme: “Improving Primary Health Care Delivery in APC States,” was declared open by Gov. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara.

The communiqué, signed by Kwara Commissioner for Health, Dr Raji Razaq, and PGF Director-General, Dr Salihu Lukman, said a decision was also taken to revitalise primary health care services in all APC-controlled states.

It said that this was aimed at ensuring that primary health care services went beyond erecting structures but also guaranteeing prioritisation of sustainable funding of facility operations.

The communiqué said that the objective of the meeting was to identify challenges of primary health care delivery and proffer sustainable solutions.

It said that the meeting was also to facilitate the adoption of uniform implementation of policy initiatives on primary healthcare delivery in APC-controlled states.

The communiqué added that it was also aimed at promoting synergy, peer review and experience sharing among APC states on primary healthcare delivery.

“Following all the presentations and recognising the commitment of APC as provided in the party manifestos, the meeting resolved as follows:

“The need for APC states to align with the Federal Government’s declaration of 15 per cent annual allocation and release to health care services.

“APC states to undertake establishment of sustainable healthcare financing system, such as health insurance and health emergency trust fund.

“APC states to domesticate Primary Health Care under one roof, in line with federal government’s policy initiative under the National Primary Health Care Development Authority,” it said.

The communiqué added that priority would, henceforth, be given to maternal and child nutrition in primary health care delivery services in APC states. (NAN)