|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
By Akanji Alowolodu, Bauchi
A one-day validation meeting of pre-health budget memorandum for Bauchi State has been organized with the aim of ensuring that the agreed 15% allocation for health was adhered to in the 2023 budget proposal of the state.
The Pre-Health Budget Memorandum meeting drew participation of Director of Personnels of health related MDAs, some CSOs working on health and members of the media through the Journalists for Public Health Initiatives (J4PD).
The meeting was organized by a USAID funded program titled Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement (SCALE), being implemented by Center for Social Justice (CSJ), in collaboration with a Bauchi based Civil Society Organization, Journalists for Public Health and Development Initiative (J4PD).
While presenting the draft pre-health memorandum at the meeting held at the Conference hall of Hazibal Hotel on Tuesday in Bauchi, Programme Manager of CSJ, Martins Eke said that the objective of the meeting was to present the draft document to key stakeholders in Bauchi State.
He added that it is with a view to scrutinizing it and to also capture their input before using it to engage policy makers, legislature and other principal stakeholders for improved health care services.
According to him, “the engagement may likely trigger a positive shift towards improving the realization of the right to health in Bauchi State and Nigeria at large, inline with the quest of attaining universal health coverage, sustainable and quality health care services”.
Martin Eke expressed his hope that a more comprehensive document will emerge at the end of the validation meeting which will serve as “an advocacy document for improved health budget performance in Bauchi State”.
The Program Manager then urged participants to be open in their inputs and observations, stressing that, “at the end of it all, it is going to be for the benefit and improvement of health status of Bauchi State citizens inline with global best practices”.
He also commended J4PD for bringing together key participants from relevant Government MDAs, CSOs and the Media.
Earlier in her welcome address, the State Coordinator of J4PD, Ms. Elizabeth Carr thanked the participants for finding time to attend the validation meeting.
Elizabeth Carr, also charged them to give valid contributions in order to have a rich document that could be use to advocate for improved health care services in Bauchi State.
She further pledged the resolve of J4PD to work with willing state MMDAs with a view to adding value geared towards the development of Bauchi State and the country at large.
