Senate Lauds  HP+Over Achievements In Healthcare Funding 

Nigerian Senate has commended Health Policy Plus+ ;  a non – governmental  organisation, over   their   innovative policies   and support in  the  health sector which has  yielded boosts in the nation’s  health management, financing  through  domestic resources.
Stakeholders in the sector were also urged to explore further strategies that can consolidate on the gains of the  HP+project  being concluded even as  the group  Says  $662 million can be raised internally  for the HIV/ AIDs  project within five years
Chairman, Senate Committee on Primary Health Care, Senator , Chukwuka Utazi , ( PDP ,Enugu North) made the commendation at  the  ‘End of Project’   event of the Organization held in Abuja recently .
Senator Utazi  in his good will message noted that Nigeria has made remarkable improvements in accessment of healthcare through various reforms in the funding of the sector even as more still needs to be done .
His words  ”Recent major health reforms like the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund,  which aims to increase resources for health and extend primary healthcare services across the country,  represent important new funding sources,  as do state-level social health insurance schemes.
“ Building on the momentum of its recent health reforms  Nigeria is now exploring ways to integrate HIV and TB care into existing insurance programs
“Expanding sources of funding for achieving coverage is one of the key roles of the USAID Health Policy Plus (HP+) Nigeria and since they launched the Project just being concluded now, a lot has been achieved.
“At this juncture,  let me congratulate HP+  for all the support services you have rendered to the Government and the Health Agencies in the Country.
“ However,  if it is still possible to design a successor project for the next few years to see how we can drive from the present mileage to the destination of Universal Health Coverage, I urge the concerned stakeholders to explore this.”
Earlier in her speech , the Country Director of  HP+; Dr Frances Ilika said the group had evolved policies aimed at improving primary health care, increasing access to health care through health insurance as well as supporting a very viral policy, the Basic Health Provision Fund..
Ilika noted that   Nigeria’s  had largely depended on foreign donors especially for key disease areas like HIV/AIDs and malaria  but said the group has come to change  the  narrative as HP+  is determined to raise funds locally  to finance the sector.
”within the next five years,  662 million dollars can be raised  for HIV/AIDs financing so we don’t have to depend on donors anymor when you need it.” The Director said  she further explained
“That is why health policy plus has provided support to the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) to develop a five year Domestic Resource Mobilisation Sustainability Plan.

“If this policy is fully implemented; if we implent it across all the states, we can begin to talk about owning our own HIV control and all other high burden disease control and beginning to wean off dependence on donor funding which is not sustainable.”
According to her , Nigeria ‘s journey toward universal health coverage was possible

Speaking at the event , the Global Project Director Health Policy Plus Dr Sunneeta Sharma said that the project was a global project funded by USAID.

“Health policy plus is a global project operating in over 49 countries with Nigeria as one of the countries that has implemented that project.

“It is a flagship USA project that has made a lot of impact in Nigeria.

“This is by supporting government policies including policies aimed at improving primary health care, increasing access to health care through health insurance as well as supporting a very viral policy, the Basic Health Provision Fund

By: Nneka Amaechi- Nnadi, Abuja