Two advocacy advisers of ‘Save the Children’, an NGO, on Tuesday called for increased national commitment and investment toward the attainment of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
They made the call at a news conference organised by the organisation in Lagos in commemoration of UHC Day, marked annually on Dec. 12.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the day is the anniversary of the first unanimous United Nations resolution calling for countries to provide affordable, quality healthcare to every person, everywhere.
UHC means everyone can access the quality health services they need without financial hardship.
One of the advisers, Mr Babatunde Folorunsho, urged civil society organisations, media and government at all levels to be more committed to building the capacity of healthcare workers.
Folorunsho also advised governments to ensure that critical policies were fully implemented.
“By policies, I mean the task shifting and task sharing policy, which helps to bring about a balance in the maldistribution of critical healthcare workers.
“The Human Resource for Health (HRH) policy needs to be fully implemented, and we need to support the Lagos State Government to develop the HRH meant to span from 2017 to 2022.
“It gives us the pathway to ensuring that we have sufficient healthcare workers, who are competent and skilled to bring healthcare services to the women and children in the state, “ he said.
The advocacy adviser said that attainment of UHC in Nigeria would require everybody, including the masses and government, to make their little contributions to the health insurance scheme.
Folorunso said, “UHC is achievable, if everybody at the socio-economic level, makes little contributions, according to what he or she earns, to the health insurance scheme.
“Also, government needs to play its own part in making sure that infrastructure are in place, healthcare workers are well remunerated and properly trained.
“Then, everyone will be able to access the level of healthcare services he or she needs as and when due. “
Also, a Maternal, Newborn and Child Adviser, Dr Opeyemi Odedere, called for commitment to building universal, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health services (RMNCAH).
Odedere said that the commitment would include building RMNCAH services at the primary healthcare level as first priority.
“Our call to government and all stakeholders is to guarantee an essential package of RMNCAH services as the first priority for UHC.
“Also, free at the point of use and accessible to all; establish time bound equity targets for accelerated progress among the poorest and most marginalised and excluded people, “ he said. (NAN)