Kano Ministry of Health Hosts Federal House Committee on Health for Oversight Visit
A delegation from Federal House of Representatives’ House Committee on Health, led by Hon. Amos Gwamna Magaji, visited the Kano State Ministry of Health to assess the utilization of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) and review healthcare delivery challenges in the state.
During the visit, Hon. Amos Gwamna Magaji Chair of the House Committee, emphasized the purpose of the oversight exercise ,ensuring the proper allocation and channeling of BHCPF funds to improve healthcare outcomes.
“The reason why we are here is to ensure the proper channeling of BHCPF funds to improve healthcare outcomes.” He said
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Magaji further announced that the Federal Government plans to increase BHCPF allocation from 1% to 2%, a move aimed at strengthening healthcare delivery across the country.
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He however ,urged the Kano State Government to address health worker salaries to prevent brain drain, which continues to impact the sector nationwide a major issue affecting healthcare delivery in the region.
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He commended Kano’s contributions to healthcare financing, including the 5% Drugs Revolving Fund (DRF)and 1% local government funds channeled into the state health insurance scheme.
On tackling the alarming number of zero-dose children across 15 local government areas and higher population kano experiencing honorable Magaji proposed the formation of community sensitization committees to bridge gaps for children arriving from neighboring states and ensured they are vaccinated.
He expressed optimism, saying, _”With the presentations we’ve seen, the issue of zero-dose children in Kano will soon be a thing of the past.
Responding to the remarks, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, Kano State Commissioner for Health, expressed gratitude for the visit and called on the committee to advocate for the revival of the Midwives Service Scheme, which he described as vital in reducing maternal and infant mortality.
Highlighting their achievements Dr Abubakar Labaran Yusif emphasized the efforts of zero-dose campaigns, across high-burden LGAs through clinics and community engagement.which have led to significant reductions in unvaccinated children across the 15 LGAs.
However, he noted that , Nasarawa, Takai, and Kumbotso LGAs still lead in zero-dose cases, requiring targeted interventions with more resources for human capital development in the health sector to sustain progress
Commissioner highlighted so many achievements made during their regime including Infrastructure Revolution:Overhaul of 300+Primary Healthcare facilities across 44 LGAs, with 15 facilities fully modernized (including maternity wards, labs, and solar power installations).
However state government in partnership with UNICEF distributed Therapeutic food to treat 8,000+ severely malnourished children.
Dr Yusif said Kano is the First state to integrate 5% Drugs Revolving Fund + 1% LGA allocations into its health insurance scheme
Dr. Yusuf revealed troubling statistics “Kano State contributes over 10% of maternal mortality in the country, which is very alarming.
Prof. Emmanuel Alhassan, Country Director of Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) emphasized the need for Kano to mobilize domestic resources for vaccines due to dwindling donor funding. He stated, _”Kano need to take ownership of its vaccine programs through domestic resource mobilization.”
In her remarks, Chika Offor, representing Vaccine Network, encouraged stakeholders to act quickly, saying, _”This is about the health and future of Kano’s citizens. You need strategic ideas to attract donors and ensure sustainable healthcare financing.”
The visit showcased the need for collaborative efforts between federal and state governments, development partners, and civil society to tackle Kano’s healthcare challenges, including maternal mortality, malnutrition, and zero-dose children.