Briefing journalists at the end of the
weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in the State House, the
Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said the amount was approved
for the implementation of the second health sector plan earlier approved
by the National Health Council meeting on June 21, this year in Kano.
According to him, the first health
sector plan conceived by the last administration was meant to be
implemented between 2010 and 2015 with 52 targets, pointing out that of
the 52 targets in the plan, only two were achieved at the end of the
day.
He said the inability to meaningfully
implement the plan, resulted in the conception of this second health
sector plan which he said would be implemented between 2018 and 2022
with 15 themes, 48 strategic objectives and 282 interventions.
Adewole who said the plan was meant to
improve healthcare delivery in the country, added that its
implementation would result in 31 per cent reduction in maternal
mortality, 33 percent reduction in horizontal mortality and 29 percent
reduction in under five percent mortality rate.
The minister also said the plan
includes: overhaul of the primary healthcare system, upgrading of
existing hospitals across the nation and infrastructure development.
Disclosing that the plan would involve
all the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory
(FCT), the minister said the plan includes 15 priority areas as well as
five strategic pillars.
He listed such strategic pillars to include: enabling environment for
our attainment of health sector good, increased utilization of essential
package of healthcare services, strengthening our health system, and
protection from health emergencies as well as health financing.
“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 June 21, 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 utilization 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, harmonized 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 under
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. Federal will commence, and we will
go to NEC and Governors’ Forum to secure the buy-in of the governors so
that this plan can be faithfully implemented,” he stated.
Also briefing, Minister of State for
Power, Works and Housing, Mustapha Shehuri, said FEC approved N5 billion
for the construction of a 48-kilometre Abak-Eket road in Akwa Ibom
State.
He also said FEC approved N1.097 billion
for the argumentation of the cost of constructing N28 billion
Abuja-Abaji-Lokoja road section one, adding that the council also
approved N78 million for the design, finance and operation of 750
kilowatts of power generation facility.
Shehuri also disclosed that FEC approved
additional N73 million to the initial N1.2 billion for the construction
of a bridge in Samaila Local Government area of Kano State.
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