The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) said it was committed to delivering optimal health care in the country, through the provision of technical and pragmatic support to states and local governments.
Dr Faisal Shuab, Executive Director NPHCDA, disclosed this at the Midterm Review Meeting of the Nigeria State Health Investment Project (NSHIP) on Monday in Abuja.
According to Shuab, the establishment of NPHCDA is one of the most important milestones in the evolution of Primary Health Care (PHC), adding that it is the cornerstone of Nigeria’s health system.
He said the country had witnessed some progress in the PHC system and health sector from 2003 to 2013, adding that in spite of the gains made in maternal and child health, Nigeria still missed the Millennium Development Goal target in 2016.
Shuab noted that the challenges compelled experts to try a different innovative approach, which conceived the “Nigeria State Investment Project” which commenced implementation in 2013.
He said the NSHIP, designed to be a five-year programme, was piloted in eight states with the World Bank as the funding body of the project through credit and grant.
The pilot states are Adamawa, Nasarawa, Ondo, Borno, Yobe, Taraba, Bauchi and Gombe.
He stated that the objective of the programme was to increase the delivery and use of high impact maternal and child health interventions and to improve the quality of care at health facilities.
“NHISP intends to contribute to improvement of health provider performance and ultimately improve the quantity and quality of health care delivery at the operational level.
“ NSHIP seeks to provide managerial autonomy to health facilities, while strengthening accountability mechanisms at LGA Primary Health Care and State Health Care Development Agencies.
“With this approach, there is paradigm shift from the traditional input-based to result-based financing, fragmented and unclear accountability with well-defined indicators that are monitored,’’ he said.
The Executive Director further added that NSHIP had recorded tremendous achievements as it relates to the agency’s goals.