Some Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and media group have commenced the development of advocacy strategies to improve healthcare financing in Kaduna State.
The development of the strategy was supported by Save the Children International (SCI) under the Gates Anchor IV Grant project which focuses on citizens’ engagement for accountability, policy environment and strengthening health financing.
Mr Farouk Abdulkadir, SCI Advocacy and Campaign Coordinator, said at the three-day workshop in Zaria on Tuesday, that the idea was to review the state budgeting process, health service delivery in line with the target outcome.
Abdulkadir explained that the participants would not only track health budget performance but also assess how public health expenditure was delivering the expected results.
“This will enable the civil society and media partners to identify clear-cut advocacy issues that will improve healthcare financing in the state.
“The evidence generated will be used to engage stakeholders in 2023, starting with a public policy dialogue,” he said.
Mr Yusuf Goje of Coalition of Association for Leadership, Peace, Empowerment & Development, equally said that the meeting was to review the state public financial management.
This, according to him, will enable the CSOs and the media to identify fiscal blockages that hinder adequate health financing.
“It is also to assess public funding of the health sector and its contribution to delivering the target results in the state development plan.
“The meeting will also facilitate experience-sharing and develop advocacy strategy and brief on ways to influence the government to prioritize funding of the health sector,” he said.
Goje, who took participants through the state Public Finance Management (PFM) circle, said that understanding public financing was key to developing a result-based advocacy strategy that would impact on the health sector.
Earlier, Mr Philip Yatai, Chairman, State Media Working Group, who spoke on Stakeholders in the PFM Circle, stressed the need for every stakeholder to play its role in ensuring proper financing of the health sector in the state.
Yatai identified the stakeholders as the citizens, CSO, media, state assembly, executive arm of government, implementing and oversight agencies, anti-graft agencies, judiciary, lender, contractors, and other development partners.
According to him, each stakeholder has specific roles in the budget process in ensuring equity and inclusion throughout the budget cycle.
Mr Isah Gidado, Secretary, Kaduna Maternal Accountability Mechanism, said that CSOs play the critical role of advocating for improved funding and release of funds to implement health programs and projects.
Gidado added that the CSOs also hold the government to account and conduct demand creation activities through sensitization of residents to demand for improved health services in health facilities.
