Primary Healthcare: Agency urges FG to increase funding to health sector

NPHCDA DG said the federal and state governments should allocate nothing less than 15% of their annual budgets to the health sector.

Dr Faisal Shuaib, the Executive Director, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency(NPHCDA), has urged the Federal and state governments, to increase their yearly budgetary allocations to the health sector.

Shuaib made the remarks on Sunday in Sokoto, at the second quarterly meeting of the Northern Traditional Rulers Committee (NTLC), on Primary Healthcare.

She said, ”The Abuja declaration was reached by African Union in Abuja, to the effect that federal and state governments should allocate nothing less than fifteen per cent of their annual budgets to the health sector.

”Unfortunately, whereas some of the states had ensured this, others are yet to do so.

”Adequate health budget is an important investment in the sector and it is the only panacea to most of the current formidable challenges in the country.”

Shuaib commended the immense contributions of the traditional institutions in the country towards eradicating polio and other child killer diseases.

Also, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar III, said that the committee was formed seven years to bolster the collective fight against health challenges.

Abubakar further stressed the need for parents to ensure that their children were fully immunised against polio and other child killer diseases.

The National Chairman of the committee and Emir of Bama Alhaji Kyari Elkanemi, represented by his deputy, Alhaji Samaila Mera, Emir of Argungu, pledged to sustain their efforts to wipe out polio from Nigeria.

The spokesman of the Development Partners, Dr Rufus Asichi, pledged to sustain their support to improve the nation’s negative health indices.

Similarly, , the Commissioner of Health, Dr Balarabe Kakale, lauded the contributions of the Sultan towards wiping out diseases in Nigeria and beyond.

”Sokoto state government is working closely with the traditional and religious institutions on health, education and social development, among others,”’ Kakale, added.

The state Chairman of the committee and Galadiman Gari, Alhaji Aliyu Attahiru, said that the committee was fully committed to improving polio and routine immunisation in the state, as well as Nigeria in general.