The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, hit the bull’s eye when he said recently that the U.S. government’s decision to halt funding for HIV treatment in developing nations is a wake-up call for self-independence.
The minister’s remark re-echoes the clamour to reform the nation’s health sector in order to end medical tourism abroad which gulps a chunk of Nigeria’s foreign exchange annually.
Mr Salako, during his visit to the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Metta in Lagos last week, said the government would identify avenues to raise domestic and alternative funds.
Salako said: “My own personal opinion on the executive order, which has now been reviewed, is that the level of aid and grants that is available from the U.S. government to support charitable activities in developing countries like Nigeria is likely to go down.
“I believe that it’s a wake-up call for us to strategise and think the way we do things and ensure that we are also able to exert ourselves and create some level of independence within our system.”
Nearly all global health funding from the U.S. has been halted immediately by the Trump administration. They include the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the widely praised programme created by President George W. Bush in 2003 to prevent HIV/AIDS.
With its $6.5 billion annual budget, PEPFAR provides HIV/AIDS medications for over 20.6 million people, keeping patients alive and preventing them from transmitting the virus. It also offers testing and education on HIV/AIDS. According to a State Department fact sheet, PEPFAR has saved the lives of an estimated 26 million people since its inception.
The decision by President Donald Trump, who returned to the White House on January 20, raised concerns globally, especially in Nigeria where the PEPFAR programme currently covers close to 90 per cent of the treatment for Persons Living with HIV.
However, the U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, on January 29, announced an “emergency humanitarian waiver” allowing PEPFAR to continue providing life-saving HIV medications to low-income countries.
In an apparent response to the U.S. government’s withdrawal of support for the HIV/AIDS programmes across the world, including Nigeria, the Nigerian government has earmarked $1.07 billion in financing for healthcare sector reforms under the Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity (HOPE) programme.
Briefing journalists at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting Monday in Abuja, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, said N4.8 billion was allocated for HIV treatment, signalling a major investment in Nigeria’s health sector.
He said the World Bank’s concessional financing arm, the International Development Association (IDA), has provided two concessional loans of $500 million each, alongside $70 million in grant funding from other international bodies.
Elaborating on the key components of the financing, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, said the HOPE programme aligns with the administration’s agenda to strengthen human capital development.
He said the funds would be directed towards improving governance in healthcare and enhancing primary healthcare services nationwide. “This financing will support recruitment, training, and retention of healthcare workers and teachers at the subnational level,” Pate said.
“Additionally, $500 million is dedicated to expanding the quality, utilisation and resilience of the primary healthcare system, including emergency maternal and child health services,” he disclosed.
The minister further said the FEC discussed the implications of the recent U.S. policy changes on Nigeria’s health programmes, particularly regarding HIV, tuberculosis and malaria funding.
He disclosed that a multi-ministerial committee, including representatives from the Ministries of Finance, Health, Defence and Environment as well as the Governors’ Forum, has been tasked with developing a transition and sustainability plan to mitigate potential funding disruptions.
“This administration is committed to ensuring that those receiving treatment do not experience interruptions. We appreciate the U.S. government’s contributions over the years and remain committed to a constructive partnership while strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare system with domestic resources,” he said.
One of the notable measures to reform Nigeria’s health sector was the federal government’s approval of N12 billion for the procurement and installation of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, an advanced diagnostic equipment, across six tertiary health institutions in the country.
Contracts were also awarded for the procurement and installation of three MRI machines and two CT scanners at: University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (Akwa Ibom), Federal Medical Center, Abeokuta (Ogun state), Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (Osun state}, Federal Medical Center, Keffi (Nasarawa state), Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital (Adamawa state) and Federal Teaching Hospital, Kebbi (Kebbi state).
Blueprint commends the renewed hope administration of President Tinubu for its swift response to the health funding halt by the U.S. We are particularly excited that the government’s pro-active measures are already yielding the desired result.
This is demonstrated in the fact that Nigeria is now becoming a growing hub for quality healthcare and attracting patients not just from the West African subregion but also from countries as far as the United States and the United Kingdom, as attested to by Prof. Pate.
Notwithstanding this feat, it is our view that more is still desired in Nigeria’s healthcare delivery system. The brain drain or japa syndrome plaguing the nation’s health sector is a cankerworm that requires urgent remedial actions. Inadequate manpower could defeat the objective of the provision of state-of-the-art facilities in our hospitals.