- To also beam searchlight on 1% consolidated health fund
Paul Obi in Abuja
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) saturday said it would monitor the expenditure and implementation of GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance’s $1.03 billion to Nigeria to cater for healthcare service delivery, particularly, the primary health sector.
GAVI (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations) recently announced new funding of about $1.03 billion to boost primary healthcare and immunisation in the country.
The announcement came after GAVI withdrew from funding projects in Nigeria following issues of diversion of funds, lack of accountability and transparency.
But speaking to THISDAY, NMA President, Dr. Francis Faduyile explained that to ensure transparency in the implementation of the funds, the association will discreetly monitor the expenditure of the funds.
He said: “The first thing is, we have to congratulate ourselves as GAVI has decided to come back, and that’s because of our inability to be transparent with the expenditure.
“GAVI had to withdraw but we are confident with one of our members, who is the Executive Director of National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), who has shown a lot of transparency.
“And we are in talks, and working with them and we are going to follow up actively with our members in place and have a committee that will have to work with the intended tactical committee.
“Also, the NPHCDA, so we can follow up the activities and monitor and evaluate what things are done regarding the primary health care centres,†Faduyile stated.
According to the NMA President, the association will also beam its searchlight on how the federal government and Federal Ministry of Health spend the 1% consolidated healthcare fund recently passed by the National Assembly in the 2018 budget.
Faduyile stressed that “certainly, we will continue to monitor the one per cent that has been approved for the National Health Act. We have to work with the ministry of health to see that the money is directed to where it is expected to be spent.
“We are also going to see that the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) enrollment is increased, the percentage is so low and it’s only majorly for the federal government staff. We are encouraging other states to embrace their different states health insurance scheme,†he maintained.
