The Federal Government, Wednesday, approved N6.071 trillion for a comprehensive National Health Strategic Plan 2.
The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, stated this while briefing State House correspondents after the weekly Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting presided over by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Minister, flanked by Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information, said the new comprehensive health plan covering 2018 to 2022, involved the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.
He explained that 38.2 percent of the total amount would be spent on human resources, 34 percent on medicines, commodities and supplies, while seven percent will be for infrastructure.
Prof. Adewole said that development partners took part in the presentation and approval of the plan, adding that the previous plan 1 ranging from 2010 to 2015 was only able to achieve less than two of its 52 targets.
He also stated that the government was working on a plan to banish cholera from Nigeria for 5 years.
Some of the plans which are in conjunction with international partners include investment in water, general education about health and prevention.
The Minister said: “There was an attempt to come up with a plan between 2010 and 2015. That plan had 52 targets but regrettably, we were only able to achieve two of the 52 targets. So, we spent a long time, trying to put in place the second plan.
“So, it took us about two years to get this second plan done. It involves all states of the federation. It includes the Federal Capital Territory, and our development partners participated in the presentation and the approval of the plan.
“The plan was approved at the National Council on Health meeting that took place in Kano on 21st of June, 2018. The plan essentially has five strategic pillars and 15 priority areas.
“The five strategic pillars include: enabling environment for our attainment of health sector good, increased utilisation of essential package of healthcare services, strengthening our health system, and protection from health emergencies as well as health financing.
“In total, this new plan has 15 thematic areas, 48 strategic objectives and 282 interventions that will help us to really improve the healthcare delivery that will offer our people.
“What is important is the stakeholder and strong health sector wide participation of states in the presentation. We went through a five-stage process. The states went to develop their plans. The federal developed ours.
“We came together, harmonised all the plans and we brought everybody together to validate and adopt the plan and then moved on to Kano for implementation.
“The entire projects meant for over five years will cost us over N6.071 trillion and we believe that if this funding is done, if the plans are implemented faithfully, we will achieve a 31 per cent reduction in maternal mortality.
“We will achieve 33 percent reduction in horizontal mortality and we will achieve five percent mortality reduction of 29 per cent.
“We are quite confident that this plan will usher Nigeria into a new era, and council in its wisdom, approved this plan for implementation. So, the next thing now will be to ask the states to commence implementation.
“The Federal will commence, and we will go to NEC (National Economic Council) and Governors’ Forum to secure the buy-in of the governors so that this plan can be faithfully implemented.”
Also briefing, the Minister of State for Works, Power and Housing, Mustapha Shehuri stated that FEC approved N5 billion for 14 kilometers road construction in Akwa Ibom State.
He said N1.097 billion was approved for argumentation of the N28 billion Abuja-Abaji-Lokoja road section 1.
The Council, he said, also approved N78 million for design, finance and operation of 750 kilowatts power generation facility.
Also approved was another N73 million augmentation for construction of N1.2 billion bridge in Sumaila Local government in Kano State, the Minister said.
