By Chioma Umeha
The Federal Government plans to scale up maternal
and child health outcomes has received a boost with the launch of the phase one
programme of implementation of a 70 million Euro (23 billion naira) grant which
is a support from the European Union (EU).
The fund is also targeted to strengthen the
country’s primary healthcare systems and eradicate the polio virus.
The Project is the phase 1 – 70 million euro
support from the EU to the health sector under the 11th European Development
Fund.
It will be jointly implemented by UNICEF and the
World Health Organisation (WHO) in partnership with the Federal Government of
Nigeria and the target States.
The Federal Government in collaboration with EU,
UNICEF and WHO signed the project in Abuja, on Thursday.
The goal is to expand maternal and child health
outcome in Bauchi, Adamawa and Kebbi States and also to strengthen health
system in Anambra and Sokoto states respectively.
50 million euros of the grant disbursed through
UNICEF aims to ensure that by 2020, 80 per cent of the wards in Adamawa, Bauchi
and Kebbi states will have a functional primary health care centre, providing
round-the-clock services to three million children under the age of five as
well as almost a million pregnant women and lactating mothers.
20 million euros, disbursed through WHO will
support the strengthening of health care systems towards achieving universal
health coverage in Anambra and Sokoto States. The project will also support
efforts to eradicate polio permanently from Nigeria.
“The European Union is working together with the
Nigerian authorities to address developmental challenges in key priority areas
under its 11th European Development Fund. This project will help to improve
access to effective health and nutrition in the prioritised states and support
the final push to eradicate polio in Nigeria,” Michel Arrion, the EU Ambassador
to Nigeria and to ECOWAS, said at the event.
“The focus is especially on providing services to
poor, marginalized, rural women and children, saving the lives of mothers and
children and improving their health and nutrition through a sustainable primary
health care delivery system.”
Thanking the EU for the grant, Dr Wondimagegnehu
Alemu, WHO Country Representative, said, “Our partnership with the EU will
enable the organisation to continue providing the necessary technical support
to the Government of Nigeria towards strengthening the health systems and
enhancing timely interventions during supplemental immunisation activities,
including reaching children in areas with insecurity in the northeast.
Nigeria did not meet the Health and
Nutrition-related Millennium Development Goals at the end of
Ten per cent of the global burden of maternal
deaths is recorded in Nigeria. On average 33 per cent of children in Nigeria
are stunted as a result of malnutrition with much higher figures, above 50 per
cent, in northern Nigerian states. The detection of four wild poliovirus cases
last year, after two years without a recorded case, has returned Nigeria to the
list of polio endemic countries.
However, systemic reforms and additional financing
of the health system by the Government have led to some improvements,
highlighted by the successful containment of the spread of the 2014 Ebola
outbreak.
“Through this important project, we will build on
what has already been achieved and continue to strengthen the health systems in
these states,” said Mohamed Fall, UNICEF Nigeria Representative, adding, “This
will help Nigeria on the road to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals
agreed at the United Nations in 2015 by all the world’s nations, including
Nigeria.”
At the Signing ceremony in Abuja, the Minister of
Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole , appreciated EU for keying into the present
administration’s resolve to improve the Nigerian Health system.
The Minister also said that the Federal Government
recognized the fact that paying attention to Primary Healthcare system where
millions of Nigerians access healthcare is the key strategy towards improving
the health of Nigerians.
Earlier in his remarks the Minister of State for
Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire said that the fund would focus on pregnant women,
lactating mothers and children under five years of age.
“The direct beneficiaries include 2.7 million
children under five years and 850,000 pregnant women in Adamawa, Bauchi and
Kebbi States”
