By Folasade Akpan
Lawmakers and health sector stakeholders have called for stronger legal frameworks and sustainable financing mechanisms to guarantee predictable funding for vaccines and primary health care in the country.
The call was made in Abuja at the end of the Financing Immunisation Champions Summit, convened by the House of Representatives Committee on Healthcare Services.
The Call to Action was signed by Rep. Amos Magaji, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Healthcare Services, on Wednesday in Abuja.
Participants expressed concern over persistent underfunding of the health sector, high out-of-pocket expenditure and the poor health outcomes resulting from weak primary healthcare systems and inconsistent financing for routine immunisation.
They said predictable funding was essential for achieving Universal Health Coverage and national development.
In a collective call to action, the participants resolved to support the proposed amendment of the National Health Act to raise the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) allocation.
This will be from one per cent to a minimum of two per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
They also backed ongoing efforts to amend the constitution to recognise health as a fundamental right and embed long-term financing mechanisms within the nation’s law.
They further advocated that immunisation financing be treated as a first-line charge to ensure timely and mandatory release of funds without bureaucratic delays.
They said timely release was critical as vaccine procurement, logistics and delivery were often hampered by late disbursements.
Stakeholders also committed to strengthening transparency and accountability in the management of health funds.
They urged state governments to meet their counterpart funding obligations under the BHCPF and Gavi-supported programmes and to adopt clear tracking and reporting mechanisms.
The participants supported ongoing work on revising the Customs and Excise Act and called for state-level levies on alcohol, tobacco and sugar-sweetened beverages to be earmarked for health financing.
The summit also recommended stronger subnational ownership of vaccine delivery and procurement to ensure sustained immunisation coverage.
It said strengthening state and local government roles was essential to reduce the number of zero-dose children across the country.
Participants called for harmonised planning and monitoring frameworks to avoid duplication and ensure that stakeholders worked from a unified plan.
They also agreed to promote data-driven advocacy to guide programme improvements and support high-level decision-making. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)