By; ALEX UANGBAOJE, Kaduna
In view of the 2025 Health Sector Annual Operational Plan (AOP) and the State Budget development Process, Save the Children International on Friday, commenced a two-day community health budget engagement on sustainability planning for Community Health Needs (CHN) with critical stakeholders in Kaduna State.
Speaking at the meeting, Advocacy, Campaign and Policy Manager, Survive-Gates IV Grant SCI, Ifedilichukwu Ekene Innocent, noted that the engagement was necessary to enable citizens to come up with their needs so that the government can capture them in the 2025 budget.
According to him, it is important to work with community structures to understand their needs so that the government can know the type of support they need.
He explained that as much as the issue of health seeking behaviour of the communities needs to be addressed, having money to purchase their health requirements or enrolling for health insurance is also important.
Ekene, said SCI is supporting the State to strengthen the health system so that the healthcare delivery system can be close to the people.
Gate’s Anchor IV Grant is a health and nutrition advocacy project funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to strengthen health systems in Kaduna state and at national level. The project is designed to contribute to improving pillars of health systems and quality of health care service being delivered at different levels especially at Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs).
He stated that the project prioritizes Healthcare Financing, Leadership and Governance, Human Resource for Health, Service Delivery as well as Community participation pillars.
The thrust of the project according to him is that these areas of work will improve the landscape, and ultimately influence the health and nutrition outcomes in Nigeria.
While delivering the objectives of the meeting, the Facilitator and Team Lead for Kaduna Local Government Accountability Mechanism (KADLGAM), Yusuf Goje, said the meeting was aimed at deepen understanding of the participants on the Contributory Health Insurance Scheme, Community Health Needs (CHN) guide and processes.
He added that it was also meant to reflect and review the CHN process with focus on sustainability, brainstorm on strategies to seamlessly facilitate the CHN process and advocate for increased influence in the 2025 AoP and health sector budget.
“At the end of the day we will generate actionable and time-bound next steps on the way forward.” Goje, said.
Participants were drawn from the Community Development Committee (CDC) across the state, CSOs, Ministries of Planning and Budget Commission, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Health, Donor Partners and the Media.
