Minister harps on need to improve funding for healthcare
Doosuur Iwambe,Abuja
The minister of health, Dr Osagie Ehanire said on Tuesday that there is need to address delay in timely release of finance and physical access to first aid medical care to save Nigerians from avoidable deaths.
Dr Ehanire who admitted that lack of functional and affordable health centres is an obstacle towards the attainment of universal health coverage stressed the need eliminate the impediments to reduce the high mortality rates.
He made the disclosure at a media parley and dissemination of the Nigeria Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child Adolescent and Elderly Health Plus Nutrition (RMNCAEH+N) 2021 Annual Operation Plan in Abuja.
He said that government in a bid to ensure prompt access to health care services during emergencies is putting in place measures to establish a National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System, NEMSAS.
According to him, efficient and emergency medical treatment service can reduce mortality by nearly 50%.
“Elimination of delays in access to healthcare can indeed reduce the high mortality rates.
“It is estimated that an efficient Emergency Medical Treatment Service can reduce mortality by nearly 50% by reducing delays in physical and financial access especially at night”, Dr Ehanire said.
The minister who quoted the 2018 Demographic and Health Survey lamented that the health indices of vulnerable populations is very poor.
“Maternal mortality rate is 512 per 100,000 live births, modern contraceptive prevalence rate is 17% for all family planning methods, neonatal mortality rate is 39 per 1,000 live births, under-five mortality rate remains 132 per 1,000 live births which translates to 1 in every 8 children not reaching their 5th birthday”.
He emphasised the need to strengthen engagement with media institutions saying, it will help to enhance behaviour change, communication and influence attitudes towards RMNCAEH+N.
“The media also plays a role in social cohesion and in reshaping norms, to become the change agent for positive health seeking behaviour.
“Despite its enormous potential, there is, unfortunately, inadequate utilization of media platforms for dissemination of health-related information to the public by the health sector”, Dr Ehanire added.
To build on the success of the RMNCAEH+N multi-stakeholder partnership, he added that the ministry has commenced the activation of coordination platform annual preparation plan 2021.
“Sustainable mechanisms have been instituted for improved collaboration with the media in reconstructing societal views on health issues affecting women, children, adolescents and the elderly”.
