While Nigerians have been expressing displeasure over the inadequate allocations to the health sector in the 2017 budget, findings have shown that allocations to this sector has been largely underutilized in the last five years.
LEADERSHIP investigations revealed that in the past five years, the health sector has not been able to utilize the funds released to the sector.
According to the findings, In 2010 health budget, N53.066 billion was approved for capital health budget, N33.570 billion was released. Out of the N33,570 billion released to the health sector, only about N17.745 billion was utilized.
In 2011 health budget, N55.415 billion was approved by the federal government for capital health budget and N38.785 billion was released to fund capital budget, but only about N17.745 billion of the health capital budget was utilized that year.
In 2012 health budget, N60.920 billion was approved for capital health budget, N45.001 billion was released and about N33,682 billion was utilized. In 2013 health budget, N60.047 billion was approved, N28.838 billion of the fund was released and N19.109 billion was utilized by the sector.
Also in 2014 health budget, N49.517 billion was approved for capital health budget, N20.472 billion was released by the federal government and N18.688 billion was utilized by the sector and in 2015 health budget, N22.676 billion was approved to fund capital health budget, N16.445 billion of that fund was released and only N12.214 billion was utilized.
With about N16.445 billion of the 2015 capital health budget released, only about N12.214 billion was utilized by the health sector.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the inability of the health sector to fully utilized the funds released was due to untimely release of the funds.
This has over the years halted the progress made in areas like maternal and newborn health, family planning uptake, immunization and other diseases.
Stakeholders in the health sector who spoke with LEADERSHIP said appropriate allocation, prompt release and value for money utilization of health funds are important if the country must overcome the hurdles in the health sector.
Programme officer, Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health (PACFaH), Aanu Rotimi said with prompt release of funds to the health sector, it will not only reduce maternal mortality rate, under five mortality rate or infant mortality rate, but can be transient till an assured funding, much more transparent utilization and ownership are available.
Rotimi also said health sector budget is very important to human development across all sectors, hence the need for government to increase funding of the sector, both at the federal level and state level.
She said, “When we talk about increase funding of the health budget, we are talking about allocation, prompt release of the fund and effective utilization of the funds. When government do not release this money on time, it may halt the progress made in the health sector.
“For instance, immunization, we all know that the Vaccine Alliance support in Nigeria, GAVI has been funding immunization in Nigeria. As the country begins its transition process for GAVI, its funding requirement increases.
“This year, Nigeria is meant to put in some amount of fund to compliment the GAVI fund meant to purchase drugs and vaccines like a year before we actually use the vaccines”.
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Budgetary Allocations To Health Sector Underutilised In 5 Years
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