FG plans mass purchase of essential drugs for Nigerians

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate, says the Federal Government is in the process of pool-procuring essential medicines to ensure quality, availability, and affordability of drugs in public facilities.

Pate said this on Thursday in Abuja at an event held in commemoration of the Universal Health Coverage Day with the theme, “Health on the house of government.”

He noted that the three-year Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain was unveiled a year ago to save lives, reduce physical and financial pain, and produce health for all Nigerians.

“We recognise the increasing cost of health care (services and care (services and drugs), and to provide succour to the population in the short term, under the PVAC, we are in the process of pool-procuring essential medicines to ensure quality, availability, and affordability of these drugs within our public facilities.

“In the medium and long term, the local manufacturing of pharmaceutical products and commodities will help reduce costs and ensure availability within the country. This contributes to UHC’s goal of reducing the financial burden of health services,” he stated.

He also emphasised that the government is undertaking deliberate and well-considered measures that will impact Nigeria’s economy positively and reduce both physical and financial pain, which aligns with the goal of the UHC to reduce out-of-pocket health expenditure and impoverishment from healthcare spending.

“Over the last year, the prices of food, drugs, transportation, and subsistence have increased. All of which impact health seeking behaviour, health outcomes and cost of health services. There will be a cost to achieve the plans laid out. The required revenue must be raised responsibly without causing Nigerians additional pain.

“The latest National Health Account expenditure data by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and the National Bureau of Statistics estimate the total health expenditure per Nigerian at under $100. The government spends $15.5 per capita, and external development assistance accounts for $10.5 per capita. This means Nigerians spent over $70 per capita. There needs to be a radical shift in this distribution. We must transfer risks and financial burdens from individuals to governments and their implementation schemes.

“To ensure effective and efficient use of the resources, we have adopted the Sector-Wide Approach grounded in the following core principles to drive our vision and achieve our set goals: One Plan, One Budget, One report, One Conversation and One Voice. I am happy that all our state Governors have identified with our vision through the signing of the Compact

“As a government, we have mobilized and raised additional revenue for health. Mr. President has increased the allocation to the health sector, and development partners have committed additional external development assistance funds. As of today, We have mobilized >$3bn of additional funding (three years) through NHSRII SWAp, including $2.178bn confirmed external financing to be spent alongside government appropriation between 2024 and 2026 on the health of Nigerians. This will enable government and development partners to spend more while individual out-of-pocket expenditure is reduced,” he highlighted.

He further said the theme of the 2024 UHC is a reminder that the government must assume a more significant role by increasing its own spending, stewardship, and leadership, thereby shifting the burden from the household, as no other stakeholder is better placed to do this.

He stated that President Bola Tinubu has continued to expand healthcare coverage to Nigerians and transfer costs from individuals to the government in pursuance of his administration’s goal within the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative.

He said that the administration has increased the number of lives enrolled in Health Insurance by 14 per cent as of Q3 of 2024.

“Mr. President and our governors recognise that indigent and vulnerable members of our society cannot afford to pay health insurance premiums. This is why the Federal Government established the basic healthcare provision fund and the vulnerable group funds. Through the BHCPF, ₦45.9bn has been disbursed through direct financing to facilities already this year. The Equity funds by State Governments support care for its indigenes who are most in need. These funds complement the social sector interventions targeting these groups.

Through the SWAp Coordinating Office, we have supported the 36 states +FCT in developing their Annual Operational Plans. This is the first time states have completed their AOP before the budgetary cycle. States AOPs were developed in alignment with the sector’s key priorities. This will support states to align their resources with the key health priorities of their states and the country.

“As a proactive government, Mr. President has directed that we strategically purchase health for target groups whose insurance premiums are high due to already existing morbidity from disease. These include women who suffer from vesicovaginal fistula and investments to set up cancer treatment centers across the country. As of October 2024, we had successfully undertaken 879 obstetric fistula repairs across 19 centers in the country, with a target of 2,500 before the year ends.

“This has restored the quality of lives of our women and their dignity. This is the type of health system the Tinubu administration wishes to hand over to our children. One that is resilient and provides for all, without regard to socio-economic standing,” he added.