Coalition of CSOs urges FG to introduce mobile phone tax to fund healthcare sector
A coalition of Civil Society Organisations and Professional Associations working with the PACFaH@SCALE Project has called on the Federal, States and Local Governments to explore innovative ways of funding the health system in order to achieve Universal Health Coverage UHC.
The group at a news conference on Monday urged the Federal Government to introduce mobile phone tax to fund the health sector.
Addressing newsmen to commemorate this year’s International Universal Health Coverage Day in Abuja, with the theme: ‘Unite for Universal Health Coverage: Now is the time for collective action’, Hajiya Halima Ben Umar said despite federal government health policies and structures, such as National Strategic Health Development Plan (NSHDP-1) and National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) the country is unable to achieve the objective of ensuring every citizen has access to healthcare.
The group said following the Abuja declaration which federal government signed to commit 15% of her annual budget to improve the health sector, in the last two decades, the highest budgetary allocation to health stands at 7%, adding that with such under investment, Nigeria cannot achieve UHC.
“Other lingering barriers to UHC in the country include low political will to adequately fund healthcare, poor governance, mismanagement of resources and lack of coordination among federal, states and local government
The group therefore, called on all the tiers of government to fund, implement and ensure accountability of the second National Strategic Health Development Plan to achieve UHC.
The federal government should release the Basic Health Care Provision Fund in the 2018 health budget without further delay.
“The government should also explore innovative ways of funding the health system in order to achieve UHC. An example of such innovation would be the introduction of mobile phone tax that will involve charging one kobo per second on every outgoing mobile phone call in Nigeria.
“We believe that the objectives of the UHC will be achieved in Nigeria if all tiers of government have the political will to implement recommendations proposed by the coalition”.
The group, however, commend the federal government, the states, and local governments in the country for investing in the health sector despite the competing challenges for resources from other sectors.
The coalition believes that if these barriers are removed by fully funding, implementing and ensuring accountability of the NSHDP-II, every Nigerian will have access to affordable and quality healthcare.
