By Abasi Ita
The Federal Government has approved the disbursement of N32 billion to primary healthcare facilities across the country under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this after a Ministerial Oversight Committee meeting held to assess progress in the health sector.
Pate said the meeting reviewed key indicators in primary healthcare, including service utilisation, mortality rates, and immunisation coverage, noting that funds released under the scheme are already reaching health facilities.
He explained that the disbursement forms part of ongoing reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s health sector renewal initiative aimed at strengthening service delivery nationwide.
According to him, plans are underway to expand the number of facilities benefiting from direct funding, with an additional 5,000 centres expected to be included.
The minister also revealed that the committee approved an upward review of tariffs for emergency ambulance services to improve response by both public and private providers.
He noted that the Federal Government’s policy of free treatment for emergency obstetric complications has continued to save lives, with over 40,000 women already benefiting from the programme. In addition, more than 4,000 women have received free treatment under the fistula care initiative.
On disease control, Pate said Nigeria recorded over 200 outbreak incidents in the past year, most of which were contained early through surveillance and rapid response by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. He urged state governments to strengthen their response systems and ensure the safety of health workers.
He further disclosed that more than 102 million children were reached during the recent measles and rubella vaccination campaign, describing it as unprecedented.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Health, Iziaq Salako, emphasised the importance of transparency and accountability in the management of public health funds, noting that civil society organisations play a key role in monitoring their utilisation.
The Basic Health Care Provision Fund is a key government initiative aimed at expanding access to essential health services and achieving universal health coverage in Nigeria.