Chinyere Amalu
20 November 2008
The United Kingdom (UK) International Development Minister Ivan Lewis has announced UK's additional 148 million pounds health care-assisted funds to Nigeria.
The initiative known as PATHS2-Partnerships for Transforming Health Systems 2 - will work to ensure Government provided health care as well as services provided by NGOs and the private sector. The minister said yesterday in Abuja that wide-ranging healthcare plan could save the lives of millions of Nigerians.
"The new £148m initiative will support the Federal Government and selected states, to help build up health systems by identifying where money should be spent and the services people most need.
"The funding will also provide technical support to the Nigerian health service. The £148m will help ensure: Better services across the country - not just in the cities - such as rural clinics to support pregnant mothers and provide immunisations to children", he explained.
Adding, "it will better government planning and management - ensuring that money is spent where health needs are greatest. More focus on preventative health support, not just treatment, to ensure people is better prepared to fight disease and illness etc".
The scheme according to the minister is expected to boost the use of health facilities by 25%, reaching 30m people living across six states.
"It will also provide £21 million worth of drugs and medical equipment to more than 1,500 clinics and hospitals, with a focus on maternal and child health.
"With the programme's money in partnership with other initiatives, the number of births where skilled birth attendants are present will rise from just a third to over a half, while full immunisation rates will rise from 18% to 60%, to slash infant mortality.
"It is shocking that one in five children die before their fifth birthday. The Nigerian healthcare system desperately needs to improve if it is to reach the millions of people who need it most.
"The UK Government is committed to supporting Nigeria in making this change and I hope by working together, we can make a real difference to men, women and children across the country." Ivan Lewis said:
Much of the rest of the PATHS2 programme will focus on transforming and streamlining health services in Nigeria, to help it reach its Millennium Development Goals.
PATHS2 will use Nigerian expertise together with those from international organisations and non-Governmental groups, to help reach the widest possible audience.
DFID Nigeria also has other programmes working on health issues including malaria (£50 million over 5 years), HIV (£100 million over 6 years) and maternal and child health in Northern Nigeria (£44 million over 5 years in partnership with the Norwegian Government).
PATHS2 is part of a package of new DFID-funded programmes, which will provide a total of £325m to help Nigeria improve its health systems, education services, and governance.
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