Health
Declining Donor Funds: Benue Seeks Sustainable Health Financing
From Dooshima Terkura, Makurdi
As external and development-partner funding continues to decline, the Benue State Health Domestic Resource Mobilisation Technical Working Group (TWG) has called for innovative and sustainable approaches to healthcare financing.
The State Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Ogwuche, made the call during a Technical Working Group meeting in Makurdi.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Cephas Hough, Ogwuche said the state must strengthen its capacity to finance and sustain its health priorities.
He said this would require stronger planning, budgeting, financial management, accountability, monitoring and evaluation, stressing that available resources must be deployed more efficiently to achieve better health outcomes.
The Commissioner noted that the Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia-led administration had demonstrated strong commitment to transforming the healthcare sector through investments in infrastructure, equipment, primary healthcare facilities and human resources. He, however, said the priority should now be to increase funding for the sector while ensuring that every naira invested delivers tangible benefits to the people of Benue State.
Ogwuche described the TWG as an important platform for developing practical financing strategies and strengthening collaboration among government, the private sector, development partners, civil society organisations, professional associations, communities and faith-based organisations.
He stressed that government alone cannot finance and deliver every aspect of healthcare, making strategic partnerships essential to achieving sustainable results.
The Programme Manager of the Benue State AIDS Control Agency, Mr. Terna Akpaiyo, said stronger local financing was necessary to sustain the gains recorded through years of partner-supported HIV/AIDS interventions. He described the challenge as not only a financial concern but also an issue of governance and development.
The meeting reviewed health-sector budget performance and financial gaps, health insurance enrolment and disbursement challenges, as well as opportunities for greater private-sector participation in healthcare financing.
The Health Domestic Resource Mobilisation Technical Working Group is an initiative supporting the Governor Alia Administration’s commitment to building a resilient and sustainable health system capable of delivering quality healthcare despite changing patterns of external support.