FCTA, USAID partner to boost primary healthcare systems

By Stanley Onyekwere

As part of measures towards the revitalization of the FCT healthcare systems to deliver quality, affordable and sustainable preventive healthcare services to residents of the Territory, FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, has inaugurated the FCTA/USAID steering committee.

Inaugurating the committee, Aliyu said it was a follow up to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on December 17, 2020, to support the revitalization of FCT healthcare systems.

Aliyu noted that the MoU seeks to address weak healthcare system especially the Primary Health Care (PHC) performances and the root causes of poorly functioning health systems in the Federal Capital Territory.

She explained that through the partnership, the FCT Administration would improve the capacity of the FCTA to plan, allocate and manage resources as demonstrated by increased budgetary allocation for PHC, and increased expenditure for Primary Health Care.

According to her, other milestones that could be achieved through this partnership include increase the coverage of FCT’s minimum benefit package for PHC to 20 percent of the residents of the FCT in 2020, 30 percent in 2021, 40 percent in 2022, 50 percent in 2023, 60 percent in 2024.

To drive the operationalization of the signed MoU, the Minister charged the committee to serve as an avenue to promote transparency, the use of data for decision-making and problem solving, adding that the committee would engage other stakeholders such as members of the Senate and House of Representatives as required.

On her part, the Mission Director USAID, Anne Peterson, who joined the inauguration virtually, identified the primary healthcare services as the foundation of strengthening universal health coverage.

She noted that USAID recognized the important roles healthcare system play in guaranteeing universal access to health services and improving the health outcome, while expressing the hope that this new steering committee would provide a road map in guiding  primary healthcare partnership.

“USAID is committed to partner with FCT Administration to improve primary healthcare services by creating and strengthening systems that will improve and assist our primary healthcare in equitable distribution of resources”, she stated.

Members of the committee include, the FCT Minister of State, as chairman, Mission Director, USAID, co-chairperson, FCTA Permanent Secretary, Secretary Health and Human Services Secretariat, Executive Secretary, FCT PHCB, Director, HPRS, Director, FCT Health Insurance, Director, Treasury, and Deputy Director Health Financing Equity and Investment as Secretary of the Committee.