Press Conference to Commemorate Universal Health Coverage Day, Updates on Status of Primary Health Care in Niger State and Other PHC issues.

On the 12^th December 2018 the State Advocacy Team on Primary Health Care Under One Roof Niger State addressed a press conference to commemorate the Universal health Coverage (UHC) Day at Minna, Niger State. The press conference had in attendance key stakeholders in the media industry and other CSO members. The Co-Chair of State Advocacy Team on Primary Health Care read the press statement during the event.

The statement highlighted the Theme for year 2018 as “Unite for UHC: Now is the Time for Collective Action”. The press release enumerates on the importance of achieving UHC though proper implementation of health policies (e.g. Primary health Care Under One Roof), adequate health funding, investing in Human Resources for Health, health infrastructure development and political will towards prompt release in health budget to uptake health services.

The statement applauds the state, local and federal government for initiatives that have moved towards supporting the productivity and advancement of healthcare services in the recent past. It also called on the Federal Government to release the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) as allocate din the 2018 budget to states recognising that Niger State government has paid the 100Million counterpart funding for the take-off of the programme. The statement also called on the state governor to mandate Local Government Councils to remit the 15% of their annual allocation to SPHCDA as management cost to service PHCs across the state. This is contained in the las that established the agency.

The press statement provided the following as call to action;

1. The Government of Niger State should fund, implement and ensure accountability of the State Health Delivery Plan to accomplish Universal Health Coverage in Niger State.

2. The State Government should improve on recruitment of skilled health workers and with priority to posting of minimum requirement of health workers to focal PHC across the 274 wards of Niger State.

3. The State House of Assembly should take the Contributory Health Insurance Agency Bill as a matter of urgency and pass the bill before the house closes for legislative business in the year 2018. 

4. The state government should expedite action on the repositioning of SPHCDA by completely transfer PHC staff across the state including payment of their salaries form Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to S|PHCDA

5. The Local Government Authorities of Niger State to comply with the provision of the Law that established the SPHCDA which mandated that, 15% of allocation of LGAs shall be remitted to SPHCDA as management cost for PHCs across the state.

6. The state government should look into innovative, sustainable and technology driven ways to generate funds to fund healthcare services at all the PHCs across the state.