Save the Children International and the Legislative Advocacy Initiative for Sustainable Development (LISDEL), have organised a legislative engagement workshop for members of Kaduna State House of Assembly to enhance their capacities to accelerate Universal Health Coverage.
It is also expected to develop a Legislative Health Agenda for 2022/2023 that would guide legislative interventions in the state.
Speaking at the commencement of the workshop, the Deputy Speaker Dr. Isaac Auta said they were in Kano to improve on the capacity of their members especially on oversight functions and to improve the health system in Kaduna State.
“So we are all here to get such information from resource persons . We were given a monogram on how the Kaduna Health system works and we were briefed on the Primary Health Care…I.can see something that’s going to improve the health care system especially now that the legislators are ready to even go more, on their oversight functions and see what is happening .”
He said the Assembly takes matters of health seriously and members were at the workshop to get reminded and take their responsibility on their shoulders.
The Director General of the Contributory Health Authority in Kaduna State, Alhaji Abubakar Hassan, said the workshop was aimed at educating them to understand what was needed in helping the health system to really function.
” Beyond that, I think it is also about the necessary synergy that should exist between the legislative arm and other functionalities of government. That’s why we are here today. But specifically looking at what’s happening within the healthcare system in Kaduna State; how do they come in,where can they really come in to support and drive implementation of different programmes in Kaduna State under the health sector. So we are here to do that,” he said.
Vice President of the Legislative Advocacy Initiative for Sustainable Development (LISDEL) Mallam Usman Mohammed expressed delight over the commitment demonstrated by the leadership of the Kaduna State House of Assembly as well as the Committee Chairman on health and other chairmen who came to participate.
He said “from the discussions today, you could see questions, you could see curiosity to understand. You could see commitment of members to improve health care service delivery in Kaduna State .At the end of the day, the legislators are going to come up with a legislation on a Bill that would really help, before the end of this Assembly, that would impact positively on the health insurance system in Kaduna State .So to that extent I would say it’s a very eye opening which demonstrated commitment of the legislature which we should all sustain.”
The Director General of the Kaduna State Health Contributory Authority, Abubakar Hassan, recalled that they had series of events this year that had to do with the health ecosystem in Kaduna State, and in almost all levels they had different levels of representation from the Assembly.
“So I want to say it’s a testimony to the leadership position of the House currently as it is in the promotion of healthy living and the well-being of the people of the state. I want to use this rare opportunity to really thank the leadership of the House.”
He said it was because of the lawmakers that Kaduna State is today, showcasing it’s achievements in the area of health insurance,adding that they have reduction in maternal mortality in Kaduna State through the law that the Assembly lèt go.
He said the infant,children and the aged in Kaduna State were taken care of, through the law and they’ve started achieving milestone in Kaduna State through the law made possible by the lawmakers and their representation at the workshop was a testimony to that fact.
He commended LISDEL and Save the Children International for lalways been there to support them.”The Ministry of Health has been wonderful, focused and always giving them the direction they deserve in Kaduna State, as far as he health sector is concerned,” he said.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr.Amina Mohammed Baloni who was represented by the the Director of Planning, Dr Joseph Sunday,said the legislature recognised the importance of health and always gave the Ministry a smooth sail in terms of budget because they know the Ministry has the capacity to deliver.
In his first presentation,the training facilitator, Dr.Olanrewaju David Olayemi , deliberated on Universal Health Coverage and Primary Health Care basic concepts and practices.
While discussing the progress in Kaduna health outcomes between 2008 and 2018,Dr.Olayemi said the objective was to deepen the understanding of the legislators and clerks on the progress made on reproductive,maternal,newborn,child health and nutrition outcomes over a 15 year period.
Farouk Abdulkadir, the Advocacy and Campaign Coordinator of Save the Children International, said the workshop would, among other objectives, deepen understanding of the legislature on health financing, Universal Health Coverage and Primary Health Care objectives and policies.
He explained that the workshop would also enhance the understanding of legislative functions and ensure the expansion of health financial risk protection mechanisms to target population.
Adamu Yusuf