Daily Chronicle
Center for Social Justice (CSJ), a Civil Service Organization, with support from the United States Agency for International Development funded intervention known as, ‘Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement’ Program (USAID-SCALE) is executing a project titled, “Improving the Realization of the Right to Health in Nigeria”.
The project is implemented at the Federal level and 7 focal states of Sokoto, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Imo, Ekiti, Bauchi and Rivers which goal is to contribute to improvements in the realization of the right to health in Nigeria through enhancing respect for extant laws and policies, reforming laws and policies as well as mainstreaming transparency and accountability in public health sector expenditure.
As part of the program implementation, CSJ plans to hold a townhall meeting on the establishment of a Health Development Bank, as well as innovative and alternative funding of the health sector including increases in the percentage funding of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund; dedication of special taxes like the sugar tax to healthcare; making corporate contributions to identified health care interventions tax deductible.
The objectives of the Health Development Bank include: setting the benchmarks and standards for non-budgetary medium and long-term funding of feasible and bankable developments in the health sector and improving the health sector’s contribution to Nigeria’s gross domestic product.
It is also about mobilizing sustainable financing and improve access to capital for universal health coverage for the public and private sector; providing access to high quality, reasonably priced health infrastructure, care and reduce losses from outbound health tourism; and support the harnessing of economies of scale in health sector investments.
According to a statement from CSJ released by Journalists for Public Health and Development Initiative (J4PD), Key areas of investment would include state of the art reference hospitals and highly efficient mono-specialty hospitals as well as laboratories, diagnostics equipment, maintenance and infrastructure.
Others are start-ups, innovative approaches to healthcare delivery, information and communications technology connectivity that supports improved health information systems, mobile services and digital health solutions.
It will also invest in manufacture and production of vaccines and other pharmaceuticals especially, to improve upstream research and production, production of intermediaries and active pharmaceutical ingredients and excipients; research initiatives leading to the reduction of disease burden; local manufacture of health devices and commodities.
Furthermore, investments will target promotion of low carbon health service delivery infrastructure and climate resilient health facilities leveraging technology and innovation; and developing health financing advisory services and critical analytical skills to facilitate credit transactions, enhance equity, value for money and fitness of purpose in the health sector.
Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) is a Nigerian Knowledge Institution, established with the vision of a Nigeria where social justice informs public decision-making and guarantees respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all.