From Femi Mustapha and Edirin Robinson, in Kaduna
The Kaduna State Deputy Governor, Dr Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe has said that 28.5% of the global maternal deaths occur in Nigeria.
She disclosed this during the Stakeholders Engagement Symposium on Sustainable Healthcare Financing held in Kaduna today (Wednesday).
According to her, the 2023 WHO report reveals that Nigeria has the second highest maternal, stillbirth, and neonatal deaths worldwide.
She stressed that alarmingly, a woman in Nigeria faces a 1 in 19 lifetime risk of dying during pregnancy or childbirth, starkly contrasting with the 1 in 4,900 risks in the most developed countries.
The Deputy Governor added that Nigeria’s life expectancy, currently at 63.4 years, remains below Africa’s average of 63.6 years, with preventable illnesses such as lower respiratory infections, malaria, diarrhoeal diseases, and tuberculosis as leading causes of death.
These statistics she said are a clarion call for action -action that must prioritize the health of the poor and vulnerable, particularly women and children.
Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe however disclosed that in Kaduna State, the government understands that health is not merely a service – it is a fundamental human right because it is intrinsically tied to life itself
She opined that as a government, the Uba Sani-led administration is resolute in building healthy communities where the poor and under-served have access to quality healthcare services.
“In our 2025 draft budget, we have proposed an unprecedented N127 billion for the health sector, representing 16.07% of the total budget, exceeding the 15% threshold recommended by the Abuja Declaration of 2001.
“This allocation further underscores our recognition of health financing as essential for achieving universal health coverage in our state.
“Despite these efforts, out-of-pocket health expenditures remain a significant burden for our citizens. This is why we are focusing on sustainable and equitable health financing systems today.”
Speaking on Sustainable Healthcare Financing, she said it is the first of its kind in Kaduna State and significant in the state’s collective journey towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
This event, according to her, was organized by the Kaduna State government in partnership with development partners and underscores shared commitment to ensuring access to affordable, quality healthcare for all residents of our state.
“Under the leadership of His Excellency Senator Uba Sani, sustainable health financing is one of our administration’s five key health objectives. Others are enhancing health infrastructure, improving service delivery, strengthening human resources for health, and ensuring the availability of essential medicines.
“At this point, I extend my profound gratitude to our development partners, the Ministry of Health, KADCHMA, the summit organizers, and all other stakeholders for their invaluable contributions towards the success of this Summit.
In her remarks, the State Commissioner of Health noted that the engagement underscores a collective resolve to make quality Healthcare services accessible to every resident of Kaduna State regardless of financial status.
According to her, the theme of this year’s symposium, innovative health financing, paving the path to universal health coverage, is both timely and essential.
She explained that the symposium offers a platform to deepen discussions around innovative Health financing, solutions such as risk-pulling mechanisms, strategic purchasing, and public-private partnerships that are critical to building a sustainable health financing framework that aligns with global best practices.
In his welcome remarks the Director General of Director General of KADCHMA, Mal. Abubakar Hassan said that the stakeholders symposium was focused on collaborations that will improve the informal sector.
He explained that the objective was to achieve collaborations that would improve the enrollment of the informal sector and the mobilization of funds into the contributory scheme.
The Director General noted that the participation of stakeholders does not only signify synergy but also goes a long way to prove how credible and beneficial KADCHMA has presented itself to the world.
“Today we brought in stakeholders across the globe, different representatives from different parts of the world who have come in to discuss the collaboration to improve the informal sector enrollment into the scheme.
“Today is about discussing different sustainable ways to increase the enrollment of vulnerable in the informal sector into the Health scheme and to advocate for the Government to continue to provide support.
“KADCHMA has made progress from less than 1000 enrollees to now the informal sector with over 120,000 people in about three years, and we are hoping that this synergy will help us meet our target for 2025, which is nothing less than 350,000 enrollees into the scheme.”
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