Senate panel moves to boost health sector funding

The Senate Committee on Health has said the proposed Legislative Network in Universal Health Coverage will ensure improved appropriation to the health sector.

This, it said, would deepen the knowledge of lawmakers on economic, social, health and political benefit of improved health funding towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Lanre Tejuoso (APC, Ogun State), disclosed that the Legislative Network is expected to be unveiled next week by Senate President Bukola Saraki at a two-day summit in Abuja.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday in Abuja after Senate plenary, Tejuoso told National Assembly correspondents that the event will be attended by Health Minister, Isaac Adewole; his counterpart in Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma; Finance, Kemi Adeosun; state governors; members of the National and State Houses of Assembly across the 36 states; representatives of development partners as well as civil society organisations.

The Network, he said, also seeks to expand access to quality health care.

According to him, objectives of setting up the network include: improved appropriation to health sector by deepening the knowledge of lawmakers on economic, social, health and political benefit of improved health funding towards UHC; ensure prompt and adequate release of allocated funds by working with lawmakers to make relevant central budget agencies accountable for fund release; ensure timely passage of relevant high quality health laws especially the legal framework for National Health Insurance Scheme and State Supported Health Insurance Scheme(SSHIS).

Other objectives include leveraging the oversight and accountability functions of the lawmakers to assess and improve quality and efficiency of implemented health projects irrespective of the funding sources; gauge citizen satisfaction on health service delivery and performance of specific heath schemes and enhance sustained learning among law makers across states and between state lawmakers and their federal counterparts.

“While there are ongoing pockets of health related efforts by national and state lawmakers, the Senate Committee on Health in collaboration with development partners have resolved to institute a Legislative Network on UHC to harness and align the roles of lawmakers towards advancing UHC cause and serve as a veritable tool for coordination and learning among federal and state lawmakers.

“All hands are on deck to ensure that the Network does not end with its inauguration. A course of action for operationaiizing, it will be charted and a performance framework for measuring success will be agreed upon,” the lawmaker said.

 

OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja