Abuja: Health stakeholders have renewed calls for increased budgetary allocation and improved financing for maternal and child healthcare in Nigeria.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the stakeholders made the call at a workshop in Abuja organized by Development Governance International (DGI) Consult, with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Dr. Gafar Alawode, the Chief Executive Officer of DGI Consult, emphasized the urgency for reforms in health financing to rectify persistent deficiencies in maternal and child healthcare across the nation. He highlighted the importance of sub-national governments adopting data-driven strategies and converting financial commitments into measurable outcomes. Dr. Alawode outlined the workshop’s objectives, which included sharing key findings from public health expenditure analysis and advocating for increased investment in priority areas. The goal was to disseminate policy recommendations and secure stakeholders’ commitment to better resource allocation.
Dr. Bukola Shittu-Muideen of DGI Consult presented findings from a recent expenditure review, identifying systemic bottlenecks and proposing targeted interventions for improved budget execution. She encouraged state governments to embrace evidence-based approaches to resource planning and health strategy formulation.
UNICEF Health Specialist, Dr. Sachin Bhokare, lauded the collaborative efforts of stakeholders at the workshop, stressing the importance of aligning priorities to ensure no woman or child is overlooked. He emphasized the need to link sustained investments to tangible health outcomes and reduce maternal and child mortality rates.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that state ministries of health, state primary healthcare development agencies, and local government ministries participated in discussions, expressing shared concern over ongoing funding gaps in the health sector. The delegates recognized the challenge of inadequate budget implementation and reaffirmed their readiness to drive reforms, particularly at local government levels where service delivery is crucial.