PAS subgrantee, CCRHS in collaboration with the Open Government Partnership (OGP), organized a 1-day symposium on health care service delivery financing in the state. The symposium followed challenges identified affecting the smooth running of service delivery and health financing in Niger State especially as it concerns BHCPF and FP.
Other challenges discussed at the symposium are: delay in the release of counter-part fund/contribution for Healthcare Financing and service delivery for PHCs, and lack of political will by the CSOs to rally for increased resources for improved healthcare delivery and financing in Niger State.
The symposium proposed the way forward to include continued independent oversight for the BHCPF Fund through the monitoring of disbursements of funds, and ensuring robust financial management, annual independent audits, and assessment reports. Production of the BHCPF scorecard and factsheet, and continued advocacy visit to key stakeholders are also identified as effective ways to monitor progress in the state.
At the end of the symposium, the following resolutions were reached:
- Stakeholders to extend advocacy visits to rural communities in ensuring efficient service delivery on Basic Health Care Provision Fund and family planning, Traditional and religious institutions should carry along in the implementation of the project.
- CSOs should step up advocacy on resource mobilization to get government commitment in having increased budget allocation and timely releases, Civil servants and political office holders should key into the healthcare insurance and family planning projects.
- Primary Health Care Development Agency should ensure healthcare services are more accessible and affordable to rural dwellers, CSOs and other partners should be involved in M&E process to ensure effective and efficient service delivery in PHCs.
- The number of focal health care facilities be extended to hard- to-reach communities and The State government should recruit additional health workers and train and retrain the existing workforce.
- Government should make security cover to PHCs in the security challenged areas to protect lives of its personnel and community members, Government should provide additional funds to the PHCs in the security challenged areas
