By Abujah Racheal

The Health Sector Reform Coalition (HSRC) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to use the ₦500 billion palliative to provide health insurance coverage to at least 10 million vulnerable households (about 60 million Nigerians).

Mrs Chika Offor, the Chair of HSRC, made the call while briefing newsmen on Thursday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that President Tinubu asked the House of Representatives to amend the 2022 Supplementary Appropriations Act to provide N500 billion to fund palliative measures against the impact of fuel subsidy removal.

Tinubu seeks to extract N500 billion from the N819,536,937,813 supplementary budget submitted to the legislature by former President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to Offor, this will take the health insurance coverage from 17.8 million (8.5 per cent of the population) to 77.8 million (37.4 per cent of the population), a 337 per cent increase in national coverage in just 12 months.

She said that the National Assembly (NASS) constituency projects going forward should include Universal Health Coverage (UHC), by prioritising leaving no one behind.

She said that NASS can procure health insurance for their constituents through the State Health Insurance Schemes in line with Mr President’s UHC agenda.

She said that the organised private sector should ring-fence a percentage of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding for health – contribution to vulnerable group funds as enshrined in the National Health Insurance Act (NHIA).

She called for the revision of the National Health Act to move the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), funding from the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) to Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) and increase it to 2 per cent.

According to her, the current arrangement requires 25 per cent counterpart funding from states (CRF is only from Federal Government) which has not been happening, leading to delays in implementation and limitation of total funds available.

“Movement to FAAC means Federal, States and Local Government Areas (LGAs) are already contributing and more funds will be available to Nigerians without requiring states to provide counterpart funding,” she said.

She also called on Nigerians to acquaint themselves with the content of the Patient Bill of Rights as produced by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) as a demand-side initiative and all healthcare facilities should commence its use without delay.

She, however, added that the Patient Bill of Rights plays a crucial role in promoting patient-centred care, protecting patient rights, and fostering a healthcare system that is transparent, accountable, and respectful of individual needs and preferences.

Meanwhile, she said that the Coalition strongly believes that appropriate funding of the health sector would contribute to solving the intractable and chaotic healthcare delivery services in the country.

She, however, said that the accountability process within the health system must also be consolidated.

(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Vincent Obi

By Angela Atabo

An NGO, eHealth Africa, has called for the integration of digital solutions to battle health emergencies and vaccinations especially in hard-to-reach communities in Nigeria.

The Executive Director, ehealth, Atef Fawaz made the call during the 2023 Insight Learning Forum with theme :”Digital Innovations in Public Health Practice: Lessons and Impact organised by the NGO in Abuja.

“We all know the challenges in the whole nation when it comes to logistics, especially in very remote areas, so the solution was developed to make sure that vaccines can reach everywhere, at the same time the solution focused a lot on accountability and transparency.

“With the solution everyone can see the point where the vaccines are picked up from and where they are delivered. It is a full system that allows monitoring of stocks, request of new stocks, and making sure that vaccines are delivered to very remote areas.

” ehealth proved that by running the project in Kano ,Bauchi , Zamfara. We are currently running same in Sokoto state to deliver to basically all the health facilities.

“This has been quite effective and has reduced stock outs to a bare minimum number.

“The impact of the digital solutions reveals that more than nine million doses of vaccines have been delivered in Bauchi ,Zamfara, Kano with Sokoto still ongoing ,a feat that had never been achieved.”

Fawaz however, said that insecurity and bad road network remained a major challenge to the organisation.

This, he said, has direct impact on everyone’s health, especially children that are from zero to five and need to get their routine immunisation.

Also speaking, Mr Jamil Galadanci, Senior Manager, Software Engineering of the Global Health Informatics Units in the NGO said the organisation invented a Logistics Management Information System (LoMIS) to address supply chain challenges especially in hard-to-reach areas.

Galadanci said LoMIS is targeted at addressing the challenges Nigerian healthcare system face in ensuring the availability of life-saving commodities and meeting national supply chain reliability goals.

“At some point, Nigeria was reported as the highest zero dose children country in the world that is the reason we invented the LoMIS to improve the delivery and management of vaccines in our health facilities.

“It is also aimed at providing a near real time visibility of what is happening across those facilities, which in turn would improve accountability, transparency and most importantly, the efficiency of how we manage those facilities.

“This is with the hope of improving the availability of those stocks in those health facilities which consequently would reduce the percentage of from zero dose children in the country.

Galadanci said that ehealth was able to make it easy for parents and the population to access drugs and it reduced the burden which in turn motivated the children and their parents to actually participate in the vaccine.

“So in general, I will say there is clearly a very high improvement. We recorded an 86 per cent improvement in the zero doses as compared to when we started the LoMIS,’’he said

According to Mr Murtala Bello, Director of pharmaceutical services, the meeting is important because it is a learning forum where stakeholders hear from people who have been implementing different digital solutions towards improving healthcare delivery in the country.

Bello who is also the state Logistics Officer, Primary Health Care Development Agency in Sokoto, said the state partnered with ehealth Africa to deliver vaccines to health facilities using the LOMIS digital solutions.

“Currently, the software we are using in the state, is helping us to deliver vaccines to our facilities, we were having challenges of ensuring availability of these vaccines at the health facilities.

“However, with the partnership that we have with ehealth, they now make deliveries and as they make the deliveries, they also capture real time information.

“So we are able to monitor the deliveries. We are also able to strengthen the capacity of the facility staff in the management of the vaccines.

“So with the partnership, we have seen a lot of progress in terms of reduction in the stock out of these vaccines in our health facilities, improved availability of tools, and also improved capacity of staff to be able to manage this vaccine as well as harness information that is transmitted real time at the state level.’’

Bello said since the delivery and the use of digital solutions have improved delivery, it has also improved availability of these vaccines and therefore, improved accessibility and increased immunisation coverage in the state.

He said the meeting would present stakeholders with additional digital health solutions from other people so as to pick their interest to effectively utilise it to solve healthcare delivery service challenges. (NAN)(nannews.ng)

Edited by Sadiya Hamza

By Kingsley Okoye

The Nigerian Senate has urged the Federal Ministry of Health to begin immunisation of vulnerable Nigerians against Diphtheria disease given the death of 20 people in Kaduna State.

The Senate resolution was sequel to a motion at plenary on Wednesday sponsored by Sen. Sunday Katung (PDP PDP- Kaduna -South) notifying the red chamber on death of 20 people in Kafanchan and Makarfi local government areas of Kaduna State.

Diphtheria is a serious infection caused by strains of bacteria called Corynebacterium diphtheriae that make toxin. It can lead to difficulty breathing, heart rhythm problems, and even death.

Katung said the index case of a four-year-old male child whose illness started on July 4 in Jema’a Local Government Area (LGA) has led to the killing of about 20 people.

“Further notes that since this index case, the Kaduna State Government has confirmed that the death toll from the diphtheria outbreak in the state has risen to 17 with 68 suspected cases identified across the state as at Sunday July 23, 2023.

“Also notes that a breakdown shows 10 people have reportedly died from the disease in Kafanchan, Jema’a LGA of Kaduna State, while three died in Makarfi LGA, while seven others were hospitalised.

“Cognisant that diphtheria is a highly contagious, infectious disease caused by a bacterium called Corynebacterium diphtheria rendering infected people struck with serious breathing and swallowing problems that may develop sores on the skin.”

The lawmaker expressed concern that the highly contagious nature of the disease means that without immediate and concerted efforts towards curbing, it would spread at a devastating rate in rural communities.

He said Nigeria’s recent experiences with Ebola virus and the Covid-19 pandemic showed why outbreaks of virus epidemics must be fought with the best biomedical and scientific tools and knowledge available.

Also, Sen Ibrahim Khalid (PDP- Kaduna), who seconded the motion, said the disease was dangerous and deadly.

Khalid said the spread of the disease was wider, adding that instead of focusing on the five affected LGAs, the government should look at a holistic approach.

According to him, Jama’a and Makarfi LGAs are border towns with Kano, Katsina while Jama’a LGA shared borders with Nasarawa and Plateau state

He said if the disease was contained in the communities, it would help stop the loss of lives.

Sen.Tony Nwoye (LP- Anambra North) said the disease was infectious and dangerous like Ebola and COVID-19.

He said that the bacteria was very stubborn, adding that the government must provide the vaccine immediately.

Sen. Darlington Nwokocha said the motion was a wakeup call, adding that Senate must look at the health sector budget critically.

Sen Diket Plang said the nature of the disease was very dangerous, adding that the season was a season where people interact and the disease could be spread through contact.

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, who thanked Katung for the motion, said vaccination would save lives and help the country from going into pandemic.

“This one has a preventable solution. Everyone should be up and doing so that this disease do not reach a pandemic level,” Akpabio said.

Also, the Senate in its further resolutions mandated Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and the Primary Health Care Development Agency (PHCDA) to liaise with the hierarchy of the Kaduna State Ministry of Health and other states for massive vaccines against the disease.

It called for search on active cases of diphtheria with contact tracing, risk communication activities and movement of affected cases to health facilities for management.

It also mandated the Federal Ministry of Health to liaise with Kaduna State Ministry of Health to deploy health workers to affected areas and intensify surveillance activities across the 23 LGAs of Kaduna State and neighbouring states. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Deji Abdulwahab

By Justina Auta

The Federal Government on Tuesday said the country’s health budget allocation would be increased to 10 per cent.

Dr Salma Anas, the Special Adviser to the president on Health, disclosed this during the Gate field 2023 Health Summit in Abuja.

Anas highlighted the commitment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration towards strengthening the healthcare systems, improving the health and wellbeing of Nigerians for improved productivity.

According to her, the president’s unwavering support will explore innovative strategy that will guarantee and generate revenue for the country’s healthcare sector.

She said: “The President said he will increase allocation for health to start from 10 per cent of the total budgetary allocation, which must go to the health sector.

“Based on our demonstration of capacity to utilise, an indication of accountability, the president will increase more.

“The president is ready to support us with additional resources, this is because of his vision to reach 50 million vulnerable Nigerians through insurance coverage.’’

Anas added that more Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) facilities would be established, secondary healthcare facilities revamped to be a link and immediate referral for the PHCs facilities.

She said this would connect with the tertiary institutions to provide mentorship in capacity building for optimum healthcare services.

Dr Adamu Umar, the President, Nigerian Cancer Society and Co-Chair, National Action on Sugar Reduction Coalition, said that consuming Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (SSBs) contributed to non-communicable diseases such as type two diabetes, cancer and heart diseases.

Umar said that an estimated 11.2 million Nigerians or one in 17 adults were living with Type two diabetes, and between 2007 and 2021 Nigeria recorded a growth in per-capita soft drinks sales from nine million to 14 million.

“The direct and indirect cost of obesity, Type two diabetes and other non-communicable diseases are staggering.

“The national direct cost of diabetes in Nigeria is estimated at 3.5 to 4.5 billion dollars per anum or N300,000 per patient.

“The burden of treating diabetes is more than Nigeria’s entire health budget,’’ he said.

Similarly, Dr Zainab Bagudu, the Founder, Medicaid Foundation, said increased taxation on SBBs taxes was introduced in 2022 to Nigeria after a lot of advocacies.

She said: “We must continue to advocate so that these funds can be earmarked to the health sector, in particular to the non-communicable diseases.

“We must work together to achieve our goal and hope that we will have very tangible outcome that we can follow through to improve the health sector and reduce out-of-pocket spending for ordinary Nigerians.’’

Ms Omei Bongos-Ikwue, Health Communication Specialist, Gatefield, said the summit was to awaken conversation around increased taxation on SSBs towards channelling the funds to the health system.

Bongos-Ikwue said: “What we are advocating for is 20 per cent tax, currently the N10 per cent litre tax is about 6.7 per cent.

“We ask for a higher tax so that whatever we raise as revenue can be substantial, relevant and channeled to healthcare, which we will feel the difference.’’

She, therefore, stressed the need for the implementation of governance mechanisms to ensure accountability mechanisms for the use of the tax revenue generated from SSBs. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

================
Edited by Dorcas Jonah/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

By Oluwafunke Ishola

A Health Maintenance Organisation (HMO), Novo Health Africa, has inaugurated ‘Novo Apoyo’, a solution that reduces long wait time and enhances enrollees’ healthcare experience.

Dr Dorothy Jeff-Nnamani, Managing Director, Novo Health Africa, said this at the launch on Tuesday in Lagos.

She said that the support-service initiative accessible through its ‘Ijele’ platform would drastically reduce challenges in accessing care, especially wait times by up to 90 per cent, among other benefits.

“We acknowledge the challenges of delay in accessing care in the healthcare sector, impacting patient satisfaction and timely care.

“That is why Novo Apoyo has been optimised to reduce wait times, eliminate the inconvenience of unforeseen out-of-pocket payments, ensure patients receive needed prescriptions, address the risk of errors in hospital records and most of all empower the enrollee for better health outcomes.

“In addition, our partner providers are relieved of administrative service bottlenecks ensuring that they concentrate on their primary role of diagnosing and treatment,” she said.

She said that Novo Apoyo guarantees that customers are given real-time, practical end-to-end support at the point of access, minimises uncertainty and guarantees hitch-free hospital visits.

Jeff-Nnamani said that the real-time self-check-in was a breakthrough transformation and the first of its kind in the industry.

“Its introduction signifies our commitment to transforming healthcare standards and driving positive change within the industry, thus showcasing our dedication to improving healthcare accessibility for Nigerians,’’ she said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Novo Health Africa is a leading National HMO dedicated to providing exceptional healthcare services throughout Nigeria.

As an accredited provider by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Novo Health Africa offers comprehensive healthcare delivery solutions along the continuum of care. (NAN)

============
Edited by Vivian Ihechu

By Oluwafunke Ishola

Lagos, July 25, 2023 (NAN) The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has trained Community Society Organisations (CSOs) on comprehensive life skill education to reduce misinformation and increase young people’s skills in taking informed decisions related to their health.

Dr Esther Somefun, Gender and Reproductive Health Analyst, UNFPA, said this during a two-day training for CSOs on comprehensive life skill education for out-of-school youths on Tuesday in Lagos.

Somefun said that research had shown that many out-of-school youths lack required knowledge to make accurate decisions, leaving them vulnerable to coercion, sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancy.

“We know that young people form a critical segment of the population.

“Lagos with a population of over 23 million people has a huge youth-based population.

“Many of these youths are out-of-school, and have needs that are to be met.

“UNFPA understands that there are communities that can meet such needs, hence the need for us to look for youth-led CSOs who interact with out-of-school youths and build their capacity on comprehensive life skill education.

“These CSOs ensure that young people are provided with accurate information from their transition from childhood to adolescents and youths,” she said.

She noted that the aim of the training was to build an inclusive society and assist the youth make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health.

According to her, 10 CSOs from 10 local government areas of the state participated in the training and would transfer the knowledge to the targeted youths in their respective communities.

Somefun said that UNFPA works with governments and CSOs to implement life skill training, both in schools and outside of schools through community-based training and outreach.

Similarly, Mrs Rasheedat Umar, Assistant Director, Ministry of Youth and Social Development, said that the ministry partnered with UNFPA to disseminate life skills training to out-of-school youths.

She said that the state conducts the training in vocational and technical centres across the state.

Umar said that the students interact with those outside the centres, noting that extending the training was critical to filter and provide them with accurate information.

Also, Adebimpe Adebara from the Peace of Heart Foundation, commended UNFPA for the training, noting that it would boost the sexual and reproductive health of youths in Mushin Local Government Area.

Similarly, Benjamin Odey, from the Association of Positive Youths, said the training had enhanced his knowledge on consent, HIV issues and counselling.

The Convener, Speaking Fingers Network,  Ms Treasure Uchegbu, commended UNFPA, saying it would create a more inclusive society and assist to achieve the sustainable development goals.

Edited by Olawunmi Ashafa

By Oluwafunke Ishola

A Reproductive Health Specialist, Dr Omolaso Omosehin, has appealed to the Lagos State Government to establish youth friendly centres and young mums clinics in rural areas of the state.

Omosehin, former Head, Lagos Liaison Office, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), said this during the World Population Day celebration on Monday in Lagos.

He said this while speaking on the topic: “Focuses on how to safeguard the health and rights of women and girls; and putting the breaks on COVID-19”.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme was organised by UNFPA and Lagos Bureau of Statistics, a department in the state’s Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget (MEPB).

Youth friendly centres are under the Hello Lagos Project, an Adolescent/Youth Sexual Reproductive Health Unit of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, initiated in 2002, funded and supported by the UNFPA.

The youth friendly centre and young mums clinics aim to address the challenges of teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, unsafe pregnancies, after-school coaching, among others.

Omosehin noted that collaborative and strategic efforts should be intensified to promote safe sexual practices among youths, especially in rural areas where the centres and clinics are nonexistent.

He also appealed to the state to effectively regulate the activities of traditional birth attendants (TBAs) to ensure they assist improve maternal health care and not cause havoc to the system.

Omosehin commended the state for making significant progress in sexual and reproductive health of women and girls, notable was provision of reproductive health as part of primary offerings in health insurance.

The expert listed purchase and distribution of contraceptives, prevention and management of gender-based violence, provision of mother and child centres in each local government, among others.

According to him, the health of women and girls is linked to their human rights.

“Every individual should be able to decide freely the number, spacing and timing of their children.

“Collectively, we must guarantee the abillity to make reproductive and sexual health decisions free from discrimination, coercion and violence.

“The services that help us reach this goals must be affordable, accessible and meet international standards of quality,” he said.

Omosehin attributed violations of women sexual reproductive health and rights to societal beliefs and values, patriarchal concept of women’s role in family, among others.

He said that it could be tempting to conclude that population dynamics was the root cause of multiple, intersecting challenges facing the world.

“Some blame dwindling resources and raging conflicts on there, being ‘too many’ of us; others fear falling birth rates will leave the planet devoid of people, with ‘too few’ of us to sustain life as we know it,” he said.

Omosehin advised that the narrative should be changed from the ills of ‘too many’ or ‘too few’ global population to critical issues and upholding fundamental human rights principles as road map.

He added that it should be guided by World Health Organisation’s recommendations of strengthening health systems capacity, improve information for priority setting, mobilising political will and creating supportive legislative and regulatory framework.

Similarly, Dr Yakubu Alli, Fertility Specialist, UNFPA, advised the state and country to utilise the various data at its disposal for planning and decision making to reap demographic dividend.

Also, Mr Ibrahim Obajomo, Permanent Secretary, MEPB, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to improve the health and right of women and girls.

Obajomo, represented by Mr Bayo Ogunsola, Director, Economic Planning, MEPB, said the state would do this through improved provision of comprehensive health services, empower them with knowledge and resources and create an environment where they can thrive.

He noted that this would enable the state build an inclusive, resilient state where every women and girls can fulfil their potentials and contribute to a sustainable future.

Similarly, Mr Tayo Oseni-Ope, Director, Lagos Bureau of Statistics, said the state would leverage its huge population and improve on health, education and rights of women and girls. (NAN)

Edited by Olawunmi Ashafa

Abujah Racheal

Stakeholders from the Joint External Evaluation (JEE), a multidisciplinary team of experts, on Monday assessed the country’s preparedness and response capabilities across 19 technical areas in Ministries, Departments and Agencies, to detect, prevent and respond to infectious diseases in the country.

During the event in Abuja, the Regional Technical Coordinator, African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), Dr Patrick Nguku, said the country had established a robust disease surveillance system to detect, prevent and respond to disease outbreaks promptly.

Nguku, who is also a Senior Resident Advisor at Nigeria Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programmes, said that this included monitoring diseases at the community level, strengthening laboratory capacity and improving data collection and reporting.

He said that the Nigerian Government had developed emergency preparedness plans and response strategies to address health emergencies effectively.

“This involves training healthcare workers, establishing emergency response teams, and stockpiling essential medical supplies,” he said.

He said that the epidemic did not read the scores, noting that COVID-19 was an experience which laid bare the gaps in the country’s national health security, even where the scores were good.

He said that the JEE would provide the opportunity for the country to go back to the drawing board.

Dr Farrah Hussein, the representative of the United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (USCDC), said a lot had happened since the last JEE and this came alongside several lessons learnt.

Hussein said that USCDC looked forward to incorporating those lessons in JEE to enable the country to be better prepared for any future public health emergencies as a country.

The Emergency Preparedness and Response, WHO, Dr Mie Okamura, said since the establishment of JEE as one of the International Health Regulations (IHR) tjat monitored and evaluated frameworks, WHO had remained committed to supporting its implementation across countries, including Nigeria.

Dr Michael Olugbile, Senior Health Specialist, World Bank, said that World Bank was very pleased to see the progress that had been made so far within the country.

Olugbile said after the JEE, the World Bank would look forward to seeing how far the country had come in its national health security, identifying gaps and making recommendations to address challenges.

Dr Olusola Aruna, representative, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said  UKHSA had been part of the journey since the country’s JEE in 2017.

“We implore colleagues to be objective in all our deliberations as we work together to assess our core capacities.

Earlier, the Director-General, NCDC, Dr Ifedayo Adetifa, said that the country must remain steadfast in the journey of transforming its health security.

Adetifa said that with unity, the country would forge ahead, transforming challenges into opportunities and safeguarding the health and well-being of every Nigerian.

He said that JEE was an essential tool that provided an unbiased and comprehensive assessment of the nation’s ability to prevent, detect, and respond to health threats.

The International Health Regulations (2005) is a legally binding framework that requires all World Health Organization (WHO) member countries to develop and maintain their capacity to prevent, detect, assess and respond to public health risks and emergencies.

Nigeria conducted its first Joint External Evaluation (JEE) in June 2017, using the JEE 1.0 tool.

Based on the conventional requirement by the World Health Assembly for countries to conduct JEE five-yearly, the country is due for another JEE. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Idris Abdulrahman