Local Govt Autonomy: Health advocates demand LG funds to end preventable child deaths

Health Commissioners and leaders of health agencies, as well as local government administrators, in five northern states have been urged to ensure that sufficient funds are earmarked to improve child and maternal survival services at the last mile.

The call from advocates in the health sector is in view of the recent autonomy granted to local governments across Nigeria, where expectations are already high that more funds will now be available at the grassroots for improved primary-level healthcare interventions.

The health professionals noted the urgent need for improved community-health interventions, funded by local government authorities, driven by primary healthcare agencies, using local influencers to reduce maternal and child mortality rates and tackle illnesses that expose women and children to preventable deaths.

Medical expert and Health Advocate, Dr Fatima Adamu, had at a recent Integrated Child Survival Advocacy, ICSA, meeting in Abuja, warned that Sokoto, Kebbi, Kano, Kaduna and Katsina have the largest poor child survival indices, raising the urgency for improved services in such vulnerable populations and communities.

She, however, noted that this cannot be achieved until the local government authorities give priority to the health sector, particularly at the last mile, where urgent care reaches the mother and her child.

“We need to link our health economy to the additional funding coming to the local government. We need to engage with local authorities not to spend all the money on other areas but to give priority to the health sector, particularly mother and child survival interventions.

“Many PHCs run out of stock of commodities and medicines; communities need to monitor these PHC facilities to know when they are out of stock and also identify the gaps and then reach out to the chairman of the local government to ensure essential stocks are replenished.”

Worried that despite multiple maternal and child health interventions in states, local communities still lack access to essential services, such as immunisation, malaria lrevention kits, poor malnutrition services, Dr Nihinlola Mabogunje, of the ICSA Project, said the mission of government and stakeholders ought to be any intervention that will ensure that every child has a good quality of life.

“How would the child have a good quality of life? by the local government providing adequate funding to ensure that health interventions needed by the child, like immunisation, life saving vaccines and emergency care are accessible. We’re not going to do the work, the community will take charge but we are going to advocate that the resources are made available.

“We would follow up every commitment made by the government and ensure there is a cash backing, that funds are used for what they are budgeted for. We are joining the communities to ensure monitoring, whether or not resources are provided and used judiciously.”

Child survival rates improve and the real change begins when health services reach the people at their localties. It happens when communities demand accountability, echoed Dr Mahmoud Mustafa Zubeiru, the Head of Missions at the Centre for Wellbeing and Integrated Nutrition Solutions.

His reaction is a strong backing for the call for communities to own health interventions, be involved in activities aimed at the survival of their children and demand accountability from the government.

He said the emphasis must be on advocacy, equipping leaders, community health agents and communities with evidence to prioritize child survival, and demanding accountability for healthcare services.

“The advocacy is to ensure child survival becomes a priority not only in policy documents but in communities. Vaccines and medicines alone are not enough if there is no commitment to deliver them and no demand from the people.

“If people are not convinced, then they don’t take the necessary step towards action. We’re going to arm them with evidence to convince them they need to prioritise child survival.

” If I am a health worker and I know the survival of this child is very important to me, I make every effort to carry that vaccine from that store, bring it to the center and vaccinate the children.

“So the advocacy is not at the national level anymore, but to the communities to demand these services, and ask their leaders to account for every one naira that was given to them for children.

Local Govt Autonomy: Health advocates demand LG funds to end preventable child deaths