By Philip Yatai

The Kaduna Maternal Accountability Mechanism (KADMAM), said on Friday that the Kaduna State Government had budgeted N4, 965 to cover health services of every citizen in the state.

KADMAM, a coalition of Civil Society Organisation, media and government partners working around the Health Sector, made this known in Kaduna.

Mr Abdul Bako, a member of KADMAM Evidence Committee, made the disclosure in Kaduna, at a reflection session and 2022 approved budget analysis, supported by Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn (PERL).

Bako said that N40.6 billion was allocated to the health sector in the 2022 approved budget, representing 14.7 per cent of N278.6 billion budget for the 2022 fiscal year.

He said that going by the eight million estimated population in the state, the N40.9 billion allocated to the health sector means that the state government would spend N4, 965 per person in 2022.

“This also means that N414 will be spent per person in a month and N14 per person in a day, to take care of their health needs,” he said.

He noted that between 2016 and 2022, the health sector budget has grown from N13 billion to N40.9 billion, representing about a 169 per cent increase.

He explained that KADMAM analysed the 2022 proposed health budget and presented its concerns and recommendations to the law makers during the budget public hearing.

He said that one of the recommendations was a call for the state government to sustain the minimum 15 per cent of the total budget allocation to the health sector for improved service delivery.

“Other recommendations include provision of adequate funds for routine immunisation, family planning, and primary health care under one roof programmes and activities.

“The mechanism particularly stressed the need for the state government to ensure timely release of allocated funds, among other recommendations.

“We, therefore, commended the state government for increasing the health budget from N35 billion in the proposed budget to 40.9 billion in the approved budget,” he said.

Bako, however, said that in spite the increase, the N40.9 billion total health budget was 14.7 per cent.

This, according to him, is below the 15 per cent budget allocation to the health sector as recommended by the 2001 Abuja declaration.

He also said that the N7.6 million allocated for family planning programme was grossly inadequate to meet the demand for family planning services.

Also, Mr Philip Yatai, Secretary, Kaduna Social Protection Accountability Coalition (KADSPAC) commended the State Assembly for responding to some of the recommendations presented during the public hearing on the 2022 budget.

Yatai explained that KADSPAC had recommended that the N120 million allocated as one per cent of Internally Generated Revenue for social protection programmes under the Ministry of Human Services and Social Development should be improved.

He disclosed that the government responded by replacing the budget line with N4.0 billion for pro-poor programme in the ministry.

“The recommendation for a budgetary allocation for the implementation of the State’s Disability Law 2021 was also considered with budgetary provision of N100 million for the Disability Trust Fund.

“Similarly, KADSPAC recommended that the N88.2 million allocated to the Kaduna State Rehabilitation Board for the completion of construction of three ultra-modern rehabilitation centres in three local government councils to be increased and the amount was increased to N147 million as proposed by the board.

The N278.6 billion 2022 budget size was signed by Gov. Nasir El-Rufai on Dec. 22, 2021, N44 billion more than the N233 billion earlier proposed for the year.

The N278.6 billion was also N31 billion, representing a 12.9 per cent increase more than the N246 billion approved budget for 2021.