The Honourable Minister, Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, has reiterated the Federal government’s commitment towards strengthening data collection and utilisation Survey which is explicitly described as an essential aspect of the Saving One Million Lives, Programme For Results (SOML – PforR ).

 

The Minister stated this recently, at the 6th Steering committee meeting of the SOML – PforR held in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

 

In his speech, Professor Adewole said that Federal Ministry of Health had lived up to government’s commitment by successfully conducting the Standardized Monitoring and Assessment of Relief and Transitions(SMART) survey, National Health Facility Survey (NHFS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) in 2016. He therefore advised that such surveys’’ reports should help to identify weaknesses and bottlenecks to delivery of good quality and high impact services with the aim of working better to strengthen the system.

 

Speaking on the Ministry’s support for Private sector innovations, Adewole said that SOML – PforR was desirous of fermenting bold innovation to strengthen both quantity and quality of health services.

 

This, the Minister said was intended to harness the energy and potentials of the private sector to provide new techniques, technologies and approaches that would increase the utilization of the maternal and child health services in Nigeria.

Professor Adewole also advised members of the committee to initiate healthcare financing mechanisms that would support prompt access to timely interventions if “we are to make a” big-bang” in our quest to achieve Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria”

 

Speaking on the topic “Harnessing and Aligning Legislative Roles towards Universal Health coverage goal in Nigeria”, the Chairman, Senate committee on Health, Senator Olanrewaju Tejuoso, said access to quality healthcare for all citizens was a function of adequate funding, timely releases of funds and effective utilization of resources.

 

Senator Tejuoso however maintained that when the economy is performing poorly, adequate financing for quality healthcare would face a brick wall and without access to quality healthcare for all, optimizing the economic potential would be unattainable.

 

He therefore advocated for a well calculated strategy to harness and align legislative roles towards attaining the goal of Universal Health coverage in Nigeria.