Women, children to get lowest basic health, nutrition services

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The Federal Government is committed to ensuring that women, children and adolescents access basic health and nutrition services at lowest cost, Health Minister Prof. Isaac Adewole has said.


The minister, in a statement by Mrs. Boade Akinola, director, Media and Publicity, made the commitment at a forum by the  Nigerian government, the Global Financing Facility (GFF) and partners, to co- finance efforts towards improving the health and nutrition of the poorest women, children and adolescent.

“The GFF has created a new sense of awareness that we must put our money on the table for these essential investments in our people and use them in even smarter ways and that is something that has not been done before,” he said.

The minister said Nigeria, being the most populous country in Africa, was facing challenges.

He said the country was the single largest contributor to the global infant and child mortality rates annually, something he noted was unacceptable.

Adewole said it was regrettable that those challenges had outpaced the government spending on health and nutrition, coupled with its spending in recent years being unable to reach those who needed them most and doing little to reduce high and impoverishing out -of-pocket spending on health by poor Nigerians.


He said the grant from the GFF would co-finance early implementation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), with funds mobilised from the government and other contributors, starting in three states: Abia, Niger and Osun.

Following the start-up phase, the minister revealed that the government would provide most of the financing for the scale-up to the remaining 33 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The Director of the GFF, Mariam Claeson, said Nigeria’s commitment to sustainably financing health and nutrition was a beacon for other countries as they worked with the GFF to make sure the investment they made lasted for years.

“The government will make an enormous difference in the lives of millions of Nigerians by making a lasting investment in the health and nutrition of women, children and adolescents, the foundation of the society and the economy.”