COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF A ONE-DAY MEETING OF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS/PROFESSIONAL HEALTH ASSOCIATIONS/PRIVATE SECTOR ON THE 2016 BUDGET OF THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF HEALTH

ONE-DAY HEALTH-FOCUSED CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS (CSOs) MEETING ON 2016 BUDGET, HELD ON THE 16^TH FEBRUARY 2016 AT THE TAMARIND 1 HALL OF THE SHERATON HOTEL AND TOWERS ABUJA, NIGERIA.

 

1. A One-day meeting of health-focused CSOs in Nigeria was convened by the Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health (PACFaH), a coalition of 8 CSOs:
   • development Research and Project Center (dRPC)
   • Association for the Advancement of Family Planning (AAFP)
   • Civil Society for Legislative Advocacy (CISLAC)
   • Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN)
   • Community Health Research Initiative (CHR)
   • Federation of Women Muslim Associations (FOMWAN)
   • Health Reform Foundation of Nigeria (HERFON) and
   • Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN)
      
     The PACFaH coalition advocates for mobilization, increased funding, timely release, and efficient utilization of resources Child and Family health generally and specifically Nutrition, Family Planning, Routine Immunization and Childhood Killer Diseases.
     The following Professional Associations were also represented at the convening:

• Nigerian Medical Association (NMA)
• Federation of African Nutrition Societies (FANS)
• Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN)
• Dietitians Association of Nigeria (DAN)
• International Confederation of Dietetic Associations (ICDA) and
• Association of Women Nutritionists in Nigeria (AWNN)
   

1. The objectives of the meeting were:

• Facilitating CSOs/Professional Associations’ discussions on the implications of the Federal Ministry of Health’s (FMoH) budget withdrawal action

• Identifying key omissions especially those with National and International Public Health financing obligations
• Prioritizing value for money line items in the 2016 budget to advance Child and Family Health in Nigeria
• Proposing strategies to strengthen the health budgeting process around principles of stakeholder inclusiveness, transparency, cost effectiveness, prioritization of needs and high technical standards
• Documenting CSOs commitment and concerns for effective and transparent budget process in a communiqué
   

1. The meeting was Chaired by Dr. Ben Anyene, Chairman Board of Trustees HERFON, and facilitated by Pharm. Remi Adeseun, Program Director of the PSN-PACFaH Project. The meeting was attended by 73 leaders of key National CSOs, Professional Associations, Development Partners, PACFaH Partners and Media Organizations.
2. The lead technical presentation was written by Professor Obinna Onwujekwe, a renowned Health Finance and Management Expert and Professor of Health Administration and Management. The paper was titled “Key Issues in Child and Family Health/ Resource Mobilization and Universal Health Coverage: the way forward”.
   The presentation highlighted key issues in health financing, discussed current health financing challenges in Nigeria and made recommendations for mobilising efficient and sustainable resources for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Nigeria.
3. Group work covering 5 key issues were carried out by participants. The 5 groups brainstormed on the following issues:         
   • Prospects and opportunities for domestic mobilizing for health financing of the 2016 budget;
   • FGoN compliance with inherited and new international obligations in the health sector- benefits and challenges;
   • Advocating for adequate funding in the context of the deficit financing- the best arguments for the health sector advocate;
   • Institutionalizing a voice for the media, CSOs & Professional Associations in future health budgets. The way forward;
   • Tracking timely releases, value for money and cost effectiveness of the health budget after releases-most effective strategies;
      
4. The meeting observed the following:
   • Health financing is challenged by dwindling revenue, poor fiscal management of resources and limited private sector financing;
   • The 2016 health sector budget of the FGN is characterized by lack of transparency, responsiveness and misplacement of priorities;
   • The framework and guidelines for implementation of the National Health Act 2014 are yet to be put in place;
   • Non-recognition of the provisions of the 2014 National Health Act in the 2016 budget proposal;
   • Absence of budgetary provisions for key and essential line items for Child and Family Health;
   • Service wide votes have not been disaggregated for many line items in the 2016 FMoH budget. Example is the bulk allocation for the SDGs;
   • Lack of inclusiveness of non-actors in the budgeting process.
      
5. The meeting made the following recommendations:
   • That the FGN should take immediate steps to ensure full implementation of the provisions of the National Health Act 2014;
   • The FGN must insist on full use of the new zero-based budgeting framework and template by all MDAs and especially the FMoH in subsequent budgets;
   • The FGN should establish a platform for health financing interface between Federal, State, and Local Governments to increase synergy and reduce duplication and wastages;
   • That more funding options should be explored to ensure sustainable health financing for better health outcomes;
   • The meeting calls on the National Assembly to strengthen its oversight roles and functions to ensure more transparency and accountability in the budget process;
   • The meeting urges Government to ensure that it keeps all its commitments and obligations on health financing including those made Nationally and Internationally (bilateral and multilateral);
   • The FMoH should work for improvement in targeted capital expenditure in the health sector budget;
   • Government should put in place a plan and framework for a graduated increase in funding to reach the FGN’s commitment of 15% of annual budget for health in line with the Abuja 2001 declaration;
   • Government must open up the budget process for more transparency responsiveness and accountability;
   • Government should develop a framework for participation of CSOs and Professional Associations in all budgeting process; from conception to design and implementation;
   • CSOs should as a priority, establish a strong coalition for budget advocacy, tracking and accountability.