34 states fail to meet 15% adequate health funding benchmark
By Ogaga Ariemu
Federal and several state governments in Nigeria continue to fall short of the 15 per cent continental health funding benchmark for African countries, despite the threat of the COVID pandemic, healthcare challenges, and poor health outcomes in the country.
A new health report released to Nigerian NewsDirect Newspaper on Wednesday by ONE Campaign revealed this.
The report, titled “Post-Pandemic Health Financing by State Governments in Nigeria 2020 to 2022,” provides an in-depth analysis of sub-national and federal government health expenditure trends, revealing that while the combined budgetary allocations of all 36 states increased by 12.8 percent between 2020 and 2022, in real terms, the health sector received less funding in 2022 than in 2020 when adjusted for inflation. The report also reveals that the proportion of total budgets allocated to health by most state governments is on a downward trend, reflecting the quality of healthcare delivery in the country.
In 2001, the heads of state of African Union countries met in Abuja and pledged to devote at least 15 per cent of their annual budgets to improving the health sector. But two decades after the Abuja Declaration, Nigeria is still struggling to meet this goal. The COVID-19 pandemic also revealed the challenges in Nigeria’s healthcare system, with stakeholders and many Nigerians hope it would be the game-changer that finally motivates governments at all levels to prioritize healthcare, commit more funds to revitalize the sector, drive improved health outcomes and protect the masses from future health emergencies. The report’s findings, however, show a deviation from this expectation, with more than ten states in Nigeria reducing their fiscal allocations to healthcare since the pandemic hit in 2020, putting a strain on an already-stressed sector.
Nigeria’s Country Director at the ONE Campaign, Stanley Achonu, said,“Nigeria’s health indicators are reportedly some of the worst in Africa. COVID-19 has exposed additional gaps in the country’s healthcare system and has shown why the sector requires ambitious strategies and adequate funding in order to serve the masses, particularly the poor and most vulnerable in the society. It is, therefore, extremely worrisome that some state governments are slashing their annual allocations to health when they should be striving to meet the Abuja Declaration’s 15 percent funding benchmark. As the 2023 budget season approaches, governments at all levels must prioritize health care and allocate a significant portion of their budget to improving healthcare delivery. Adequate disbursements should follow these allocations to finance health infrastructure and programs.”
