Health Sector Reform Coalition (HSRC) comprising of over 100 CSOs and health experts have adopted a new charter to serve as guide to the federal government, state governors and major stakeholders in the health sector .
The Board of Trustees (BOT) chairman of Health Reform Foundation HERFON and a member of Health Sector Reform Coalition (HSRC) , Idris Muhammad, during it annual general meeting policy dialogue 2.0 and charter adoption in collaboration with Save the Children International (SCI), Africa Health Budget Network amongst others on Tuesday in Abuja, explained that they will review and adopt the charter and hit the ground running to make sure that they strengthen the health sector.
The dialogue was themed, ” A critical look at the basic health care provision service-wide approach (BHCP-SWAp) initiative and its path to UHC attainment in Nigeria”.
He expressed concern that there is poverty bedeviling the country and the worst thing that can happen to anybody now is to have health challenges.
He said the coalition consist of experienced doctors and they are expecting a great change in the health sector adding that they are putting their heads together to make sure they strengthen the health sector.
He said the coalition already met the minister of health who gave them what he wants to focus on, which are the 4 points agenda hinched on basis health care position, sector wise, putting all the money together into one place where they can easily be identified and utilized, making sure that they have two Primary Health Care (PHCs) per ward and making sure that there is health for all.
Also, the interim chairperson of the Health Sector Reform Coalition and also the CEO of Vaccine Network for Disease Control, Chika Ofor, in an interview said the main focus of the meeting is to talk about governance issues and also focus on the government strategy which is the BHCP.
She said one of the thing that they have done so far in the health sector is the national health act out of which they have the basic health care position.
She further explained that it is based on the reform that the minister is doing basic health care provision sector, wide approach as that is the template of governance that the minister of health is using.
Also, the Advocacy, Campaign and Policy Manager, SCI, Innocent Ifedilichukwu said the coalition is expected to catalyse and advocate for health reforms and they are happy that the organisation is waking up from their slumber.
He said SCI will continue to support the activities of the coalition to ensure that they achieve the desired objectives.
“One of the things we are pushing is funding for health sector not only increase in terms of numbers but also in terms of efficiency in utilisation.
“If the government of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu can assure us that and put down resources and ensure efficient utilisations of this resources, so the women in my village and his own village will benefit from it, I think it will be the best gift he can give Nigerians.
“As a coalition, we develop an accountability mechanism, like I said before that it is now that we are coming on board to use those accountability mechanism to track the funding and get government people to be accountable and administer the funds .
“As CSO, the most important thing is that we are organising ourselves and we are understanding these issues. We are developing plans to take action one after the other.
“It is also important that at the moment, the coalition is back in it feet again and we hope to see the coalition take adequate of the proposed steps in the near future,” he said.
