DRPC, NAMED floats N2.5 million media challenge

.Advocates increased budget targeting maternal, child care

Development Research and Projects Center, (dRPC) and the Nigerian Academy of Medicine, has launched a N2.5 million media awards challenge targeting effective health care delivery especially acces to primary health care services for women and children.

Director Projects, dRPC, Dr. Stanley Ukpai, noted that the partnership between dRPC, NAMED and the media aims to amplify issues surrounding funding of basic health care in Nigeria to ensure women and children are prioritized even as the budgeting process is about to begin.

He made this known at the official inauguration of the fund, yesterday in Abuja.

He said the partnership is hoping that as an offshoot of the initiative, policy makers will begin to priorities primary health care so that access to health care especially women and children who are mostly those that go to these care facilities for routine immunization among others.

Indices will improve because there is more funding, it will mean there will be more staff, contraceptives and other services.

“We understand that the indices that we currently have focuses on this cadre of people; women and children because they are mostly target with routine services like immunization, antinatal services and family planning so we are hoping that as an impact of this initiative, policy makers will begin to prioritise funding for primary healthcare so that this indices will begin to improve.

If there is more funding, it will mean there will be more commodities, more contraceptives, there will be more staffing tat when these women and childer attend the facilities, they are able to access care.

“This is why we are partnering with the Nigerian Academy for Medicine and the media to put out this media challenge

“We want to keep this on the front burner so that political officeholders who are making decisions around universal health coverage and the health of Nigerians keep that in mind.

“The DRPC is partnering with NAMED to launch a media challenge and that media challenge is putting out a fund for all reporters to begin to write about primary health care, the challenges and opportunities.”

He adds that awards in intended to encourage reporters and spur them to do more in terms of shedding light on key issues and that the categories consist of first prize, second prize and third to tenth.

“The first prize is a million naira, second prize is five hundred thousand, the third prize is three hunderrd thousand naira while the fourth to tenth positions will receive consolation prizes of fifty thousand naira each,” he said.

Named President, Professor Samuel Ohaegbulam, said Key strategy for improving primary healthcare,(PHC), is to increase the amount of domestic funding allocated for this purpose.

“It is futile trying to improve primary health care, mother and child care or mental health and all others if the funding is poor. We would not achieve the expected results,” he said.

The event which doubles as the annual lecture and induction of NAMED, saw new fellows added the body’s membership.