Free basic healthcare service for 20 million Nigerians

HEALTH, they say, is wealth. As an important element of national security, public health not only functions to provide adequate and timely medical care but also track monitor and control disease outbreaks.

It is no news that the Nigerian healthcare system had had to contend with outbreaks of several infectious diseases over the years. Tackling the problem headlong has been a major challenge.

Healthcare provision in Nigeria is a concurrent responsibility of the three tiers of government in the country. Private providers of healthcare also have a role to play in health care delivery.

Healthcare delivery in Nigeria has faced major challenges toward achieving universal health coverage. While significant progress was made in the first two decades after the country’s independence in 1960, the economic downturn resulting from plummeting oil prices on which Nigeria was dependent, led to a series of twists and turns in the health sector.

Health policies were subsequently influenced by external forces, and the adoption of the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) signaled a shift from a predominantly welfare scheme to the introduction of the user fees and the resultant proliferation of private healthcare provision.

It’s been observed that successive administrations have continued to gloss over some key factors that are critical to the formulation of health policies in the country.

This has necessitated demands by stakeholders for a more inclusive model that will ensure equity and accessibility to healthcare services.

To bridge the gaps, the Federal Government, a few days ago, flagged off the Integrated Medical Outreach Programme (I-MOP). It’s meant to be a nationwide strategic approach to improved immunization and to strengthen primary healthcare across the country.

While launching the programme in Abuja, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo announced that the outreach will capture over 20 million Nigerians in free basic healthcare services.

The I-MOP is a programme of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) targeting the unreached, underserved and vulnerable communities in 409 councils in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Osinbajo further explained that the I-MOP will to take basic healthcare services, health education, basic surgeries and screening for diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and cancer to these underserved areas.

Continuing, the Vice President said, “Not only does it provide free health services to communities that had never in the past enjoyed those services, but it also provides our public health institutions with invaluable disease identification opportunities and outreach lessons.”

He added that the I-MOP intervention is aimed at strengthening and scaling up access to routine immunisation and other primary healthcare services in the selected low performing 409 councils in the country.

The first round of the I-MOP implementation was held between March 23 and 27 in the selected 409 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the 36 states and FCT, while the second round is planned for April 20 to 24, 2020? and the third round will take place ?from 1 – 5, June 2020?.

The Vice President encouraged Nigerians and all other nationals residing within the country to take their children under two years to the nearest health facilities for screening and administration of all due antigens.

His words: “The Federal Government of Nigeria maintains a policy to provide immunisation services free to all against all vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs). All other age groups are also encouraged to visit designated one medical outreach center per senatorial district during the five days of the I-MOP implementation for basic general medical and surgical consultations/operations.”

On the deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Osinbajo applauded Nigeria’s robust proactive preventive efforts led by the Minister of Health and his team.

Osinbajo said: “But the threat is not over and as you know, only a few days ago, Mr. President directed that a readiness review be undertaken covering both the economy and healthcare services and that report has been submitted to him.

“We are also examining the readiness of our health facilities for whatever eventualities may arise. Meanwhile, we urge Nigerians to continue to observe hygiene advisories, including frequent hand washing and social distancing as much as possible.”

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, had earlier, said the flag-off of the I-MOP was an important development because it does not just take care of Primary Healthcare (PHC) but also tends to be specific. Lawan was represented by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Primary Health Care and Communicable Diseases, Chukwuka Utazi.

He said I-MOP focuses on immunisation, treatment of minor ailments, counseling services, health talks on non-communicable diseases, like hypertension, cancer chronic kidney diseases, stroke, and diabetes, among others.

Lawan said, “Adequate healthcare for all is not for the privileged class alone; those in the rural areas deserve care as well. I am glad that you have launched this programme to reach them and to assure them that the government cares.”

The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, said the I-MOP was designed to address the identified gaps in primary healthcare in Nigeria.

Ehanire said, “Our goal is the development of a resilient and responsive primary healthcare system, which will be the most critical investment this administration would have made in the next level agenda in the health sector”.

FCT, Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Aliyu, revealed that the administration had in the 2020 budget, provided a total sum of over N800 million for Primary Health Care leadership, governance and infrastructure upgrade.

This is a part of measures to strengthen immunisation and Primary Health Care in Abuja. Other areas covered by the 2020 budget, according to the minister, include N500 million provisions made for reproductive health, integrated management of childhood illnesses and nutrition.

The Minister, however, stated that the sources of funding include the FCT Appropriation Act, 2020, the Saving One Million Lives Programme for Results and the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF).

She assured that the FCT administration would continue to support programmes and activities geared towards improving the quality of lives and health outcomes of all residents, particularly women and children. In his remarks, the Executive Director of National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, said the launch of the Integrated Mobile Outreach Programme was aimed at addressing some gaps in the number of children immunised with the third dose pentavalent vaccine.

“The improvements in routine immunisation are however not indicative that every child in Nigeria is protected with life-saving vaccines. Significant equity gaps still exist in underserved communities leading to catastrophic disease outbreaks and deaths in some instances,” he noted.

He assured that during the I-MOP, all public health facilities providing primary healthcare services would be opened and should be accessed by all members of the public.

Shuaib also said the vaccines being provided were free, safe and effective.

The Country Representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Fiona Braka, said that there has been a global reduction in child mortality over the past three decades. Braka said that the WHO African Regional Strategic Plan for Immunisation targets universal immunisation coverage, complete interruption of poliovirus transmission, measles elimination, and control of other vaccine-preventable diseases.