The Nigerian government says it has disbursed more than N192 billion to strengthen primary healthcare facilities across Nigeria since the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) began disbursements in 2019.
The executive director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Muyi Aina said this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.
Aina spoke against the backdrop of the recent National Health Financing Policy Dialogue.
The dialogue, with the theme, “Reimagining the Future of Health Financing in Nigeria” was organised by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and partners.
It sought to reimagine financing models that make healthcare more equitable, sustainable, and accessible for all Nigerians.
Aina said that currency fluctuations and rising service costs continued to strain Nigeria’s health system, even as budget allocations are increasing at both federal and state levels.
He said that out-of-pocket expenditure still accounted for a disproportionate share of healthcare spending, with the public sector’s contribution at just 14 per cent.
According to him, the government has mobilised N3.5 billion, 60 per cent of which is pooled from mechanisms such as the BHCPF, Global Fund, Gavi, and PEPFAR.
He said the fund was mobilised through the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) and the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative.
Aina said that 8,309 facilities nationwide now receive quarterly funds under the BHCPF.
He expressed government’s commitment to closing existing financing gaps through stronger co-financing at the federal, state and local government levels, coupled with performance-based accountability measures.
He said the federal government is set to roll out a direct funding mechanism across the country to improve accountability in healthcare spending.
The NPHCDA boss also said that government’s analysis showed that between 15 per cent and 25 per cent of non-campaign vaccines in Nigeria cannot be accounted for.
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