Accountability for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health in Nigeria (AMHiN)
Wednesday: 27th November 2013
Good morning distinguished members of the press.
Permit me to recall that Nigeria had received an international applause on the 11th July 2012 at the London Summit on Family Planning tagged FP2020. The London summit was facilitated by UK Government, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, UNFPA and many international donors and partners. It was aimed at mobilizing global policy, financing, commodity, and service delivery commitments to support the rights of an additional 120 million women and girls in the world’s poorest countries to use contraceptive information, services and supplies, without coercion or discrimination, by 2020. Nigeria government had spoken so eloquently at the London Summit and reiterated that “in addition to our current annual commitment of US$3 million for the procurement of reproductive health commodities, we are now committing to provide an additional US$8,350,000 annually over the next four years, making a total of US$33,400,000 over the next four years. This is an increase of 300 percent.” Nigeria highlighted that it is “committed to achieving the goal of a contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) of 36 percent by 2018” And that “achieving this goal will mean averting at least 31,000 maternal deaths. Over 700,000 mothers will be prevented from injuries or long-term complications due to childbirth.” The just concluded 2013 International Conference on Family Planning at the African Union Conference Centre had provided the opportunity for African Health Ministers to review performance and progress with respect to pledges and commitment made over one year ago in London.
A quick review at the conference indicated that Nigeria as a country was not able to fulfil the FP2020 commitment as follows;
1. The initial annual commitment prior to the London Summit of US$3 million annually for the procurement of RH/FP commodities was not released for the year 2013
2. The additional US$8.5 million annual pledge over the next 4 years ((2012-16) to match the 300% increase in RH/FP funding commitment was not planned for not to talk of release.
3. The preliminary findings of 2013 NDHS revealed that our CPR is still around 10% which indicated that it hasn’t improved over the last 5 years. This will make the attainment of 36% CPR by 2018 a mirage and not tenable.
4. Political will across the 3 tiers to galvanize resources for RH/FP is grossly inadequate and the Nigerian government is experiencing lack of coordination and ownership of FP programmes which affects performance.
5. Nigeria has also committed to allocating 15% of its budget to health sector in line with the 2001 Abuja Declaration. As of the last African Head of States Summit in July 2013, Nigeria’s health sector budget is still below 6%.
6. In line with its health sector budget, Nigeria is spending about $20 per capita annually. $54 per capita is the minimum amount of Government spending per person that is needed in order to provide basic health services by W.H.O standard.
Why should Nigerian government do more?
1. Nigeria is one of the 10 worst places in which to be a mother, and has the second highest number of newborn deaths worldwide.
2. One woman out of every 29 Nigerians faces a lifetime risk of death in childbirth. This is in contrast to Ethiopia, where one woman out of 67 faces such a risk.
3. Currently, only 9% of Nigerians married or in-union aged 15-49 use any modern method of contraception. These numbers are shockingly low, and in stark contrast to Ethiopia where the rate is 27%. In Bangladesh 52% of women married or in-union aged 15-49 are using modern methods of contraception.
4. Only 2.2% of the 1,382,000 married adolescent women ages 15-19 in Nigeria are currently using any type of modern contraception.
5. In 2011, 175,514 married adolescents did not have access to modern family planning information and services.
Call to Action
1. The 1st sign of commitment by the present administration will be to release the initial US$3 Million for year 2013 for the purchase of RH/FP commodities and to equally accelerate the release of the additional US$8.5 Million for year 2013 and subsequent years.
2. The CPR target should rise to a level comparable with Bangladesh and Ethiopia and to ensure that at least 50% of those married or in union have access to modern methods of contraception by 2018.
3. Nigeria to fulfil its commitment in line with the United Nations Secretary General’s Strategy on women’s and children’s health by fully funding its health sector through increasing budgetary allocation to as much as 15% from an average of 5% by the Federal, States and Local Government Areas by 2015
4. Nigeria to accelerate the passage of the National Health Bill which provides allocation of 2 % of its consolidated crude oil revenue to funding health sector.
5. Ensure health facilities, particularly in rural areas, have adequate family planning methods, commodities and services available for all women.
6. Ensure that Nigerians have access to social health insurance which provides the Universal Health Coverage.
In order for these to happen the Media and CSOs must be vigilant and commit to reporting progress and calling on the Nigerian government to talk the talk and walk the walk for the survival of women and children.
Thank you for listening.
About AMHiN;
Accountability for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health in Nigeria (AMHiN) is a national coalition of CSOs, Media and Professional Bodies committed to promoting accountability and transparency in the health sector through regular media engagement, generating evidence and using such to advocate to government for better accountability that will reduce maternal and child deaths in Nigeria. For further information contact AMHiN Secretary Ms Chioma Kanu at chiomakanu.b@gmail.com