A national coalition of Civil Society Organizations convened to review Nigeria’s RMNCAH+N Investment Case with the Global Funding Facility (GFF) to evaluate the country’s coverage of Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, and Adolescent Health plus Nutrition investment priorities and gaps; and develop advocacy messages, tools to engage relevant government and policymakers for the wellbeing of women, children and adolescents in Nigeria.
A review meeting was facilitated by Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN) to review the investment case for better understanding of the relationship between objectives, targets, interventions and proposed cost and discuss strategies for improving the country’s limited coverage of RMNCAH+N interventions. In attendance were Community and Health Research Initiative (CHR), Nigeria GFF CSOs Working Group, National Advocates for Health (NA4H), Nigeria Youths Champions for Universal Health Coverage (NYC4UHC) and Niger State Coalition on MNCH.
In a communique issued by the coalition, it was observed that only 13 of the RMNCAH+N services are covered in the Minimum Package of Activities (MPA) as outlined in the investment case and are calling on the government of Nigeria to ensure full scale implementation of Expanded Minimum Package in all 36 states including the FCT including comprehensive HIV services in reproductive health services.
“The expected result on Reproductive Maternal Neonatal and Adolescent Health plus Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) which projected modern Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (mCPR) target of 43% by 2021 need to be reviewed, as the set target of about 200% increase is unrealistic. The reasons being that mCPR percentage has barely gone beyond 11% consistently over the years coupled with dwindling financial resources and the fact that Nigeria is not fully financing family planning,” the communique stated.
The coalition therefore recommended that “There is a need for pragmatic and high absorption capacity in ensuring efficient financing of the Investment Case through improved budgetary allocation to health and political will to make the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) a statutory transfer a means of securing the fund”.
“In addition, there is a need to leverage on other platforms to generate additional funding for the BHCPF. The Nigeria health financing strategy should be costed to complement the RMNCAH+N investment case.”
The coalition added that there should be an inclusive stakeholder’s consultation to provide a framework that will ensure efficient utilization of the Basic Health Care Provision Funds (BHCPF), through the involvement of Civil Society Organizations, private sector, business community under Public Private Partnership (PPP) agreement.
“Government should establish youth friendly centres including comprehensive family planning package, not just the use of contraceptives, as well as a holistic service for people with special needs”.
Click this link to view the communique here: http://arfh-ng.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Review-of-the-Nigeria-RMNCAHN-GFF-Investmemnt-Case-Sept-2018.pdf
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