SCI, KDSG move to strengthen community participation in health budgeting, implementation
The Save the Children International (SCI) is supporting the Kaduna State Government to strengthen community participation in health budgeting and implementation processes to meet the health needs of community members.
Mr Farouk Abdulkadir, SCI Advocacy and Campaign Coordinator, stated this in Kaduna on Tuesday during the dissemination of a Guide to Developing Community Health Needs (CHN) in line with Community Development Charter (CDC).
The Voice Media Trust (VMT NEWS) reports that the CDC is a written document containing development needs of a community listed in order of communal priority.
Abdulkadir said that the Guide was developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, State Primary Healthcare Board, Kaduna Maternal Accountability Mechanism and Coalition of Association for Leadership, Peace, Empowerment & Development (CALPED).
He said that the support was under Gates Anchor IV Grant, focusing on four key areas of citizens engagement for accountability, policy environment and strengthening health financing.
He said that the guide to developing community health needs was one of SCI innovations for including citizens in the planning and budgeting processes of government as it affects the health sector.
The advocacy and campaign coordinator explained that the idea was to pull out community health priority needs from the CDC that could have a high impact on the people for inclusion in the local government and state budgets.
“We were able to organise an orientation workshop for CDC Champions and Ward Engagement Officers on the CDC process, using the CHNs template and linked them with the health sector Annual Operational Plan (AoP),” he said.
Presenting the Guide, Mr Yusuf Goje of CALPED, said that the Community Health Needs has influenced the 2023 proposed budget with a total of 206 projects from the 23 Local Government Areas amounting to N257.2.
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He identified the LGAs with the highest influence in the budget as Jaba with 20 projects, Kajuru 18, Kudan 16 and Zangon Kataf 15.
He added that the LGAs with the lowest influence included Chikun with four projects, with Birnin Gwari, Igabi, Jema’a, Kachia, Makarfi, Sabon Gari, Soba and Zaria having five projects each.
“The remaining LGAS have between six and 14 prioritised needs captured in the budget.
“In terms of health priorities, Reproductive. Maternal Newborn Child Adolescent Health, Plus Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) has the highest influence with 56 projects.
“RMNCAH+N was followed by community participation with 48, health finance 26, nutrition 19, as well as emergency, preparedness, and responses.
“Health issues with the lowest influence include food safety, partnership for health, communicable diseases, and maternal health with each having only one priority captured,” he said.
He advised for timely commencement of the CDC/CHN process, periodic reflections and retraining of the CDC Champions and Community Engagement Focal Person (CEFP).
He also stressed the need to fully mainstream the CHN process into the state and LGAs budget process and the automation of the CHN leveraging on the CDC web platform for sustainability.
Goje also called for a periodic tracking of implementation of the CHNs that influence the annual budgets of the state and local government for accountability.
Also, Dr Neyu Iliyasu, Director, Family and Community Health Services, Kaduna State Primary Healthcare Board, thanked SCI, CALPED and other stakeholders for the support.
He said that the guide was developed to serve as reference material for the development of the Community Health Needs and as an excellent guide in the process of developing the health sector AOP and Budgets
“It is my sincere hope that this guide will improve community understanding and participation across all our planning and implementation processes.
“W equally hope that it will promote inclusiveness in addressing the health needs of the people of Kaduna State,” Iliyasu said.
