CSOs call for sufficient budget line for immunisation
A coalition of civil society groups pushing for sustained vaccine financing in Nigeria has urged the House of Representatives members to work with the House of Assembly in their various states to ensure inclusion of a sufficient budget line for immunisation.
Sufficient budget line, according to the groups will cover operational costs required for vaccine delivery, outreaches, supportive supervision, cold chain maintenance, etc.
They made this known in a memorandum addressed to the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Healthcare Services on financing healthcare and revitalising Primary Healthcare (PHC) in Nigeria.
The groups said, “to achieve better results and value for money, we want the National Assembly to strengthen its oversight functions and ensure efficiency in spending approved budgets for health in a bid to improve national health outcomes.
“To ensure transparency, we want the Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government to make information on budget release and implementation easily accessible to CSOs in a timely manner.”
They also stated that, “to improve immunisation financing at the state level, we want Honourable members of the House of Representatives to work with the House of Assembly members in their states to ensure inclusion of a sufficient budget line for immunisation to cover operational costs required for vaccine delivery, outreaches, supportive supervision, cold chain maintenance, etc.
“To ensure a stronger health system, we want the federal, state and local government authorities to increase allocation to the health sector to reach the 15 per cent in accordance with the Abuja Declaration benchmark of African Head of States in 2001,” the CSOs stated in the memorandum made available to Daily Times.
The memorandum was adopted by 33 CSOs and signed by Dr Chizoba Wonodi, the convener of Women Advocates for Vaccine Access (WAVA).
