NGO calls for adequate planning, financial commitment to improve nation’s health sector

An NGO, Development Communications (DevComs) Network, on Tuesday called for adequate planning and financial commitment to improve healthcare for proper wellbeing of Nigerians, particularly women and children.

Mrs Biodun Owo, the Training, Research and Communications Officer of DevComs, said this in a statement to mark the 2015 World AIDS Day.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that every Dec.1 is set aside for the day, and the theme for 2015 is: “Getting to Zero: Ending AIDS by 2030’’.

According to her, the `NOTAGAIN` campaign urges the Federal Government to use the opportunity presented by the World AIDS Day 2015 to improve the nation’s health sector.

“This will be done by increasing budgetary allocations to the sector, implementing the National Health Act, 2014, and training of skilled health workers.

“There is also a need to employ and motivate health workers for improved health outcomes,’’ Owo said.

She said that HIV/AIDS was among the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals, (SDGs) which were adopted at the United Nations Summit held from Sept. 25 to Sept. 27 in New York.

“The World Health Organisation (WHO) says HIV continues to be a major global public health issue, having claimed more than 34 million lives so far.

“According to the health organisation, 1.2 million people died from HIV-related causes globally, while Sub-Saharan Africa is the most affected region with about 25.8 million people living with HIV in 2014,’’ she said.

Owo said that the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) had advocated more investment, commitment and accelerated innovation toward reducing the AIDS epidemic to achieve the SDGs.

“The Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG) shows that HIV/AIDS, maternal mortality, child morality and other diseases are related to the wellbeing of the people.

“It targets an end to the epidemics of AIDS by 2030 and seeks to reduce maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births.

“Maternal mortality ratio in Nigeria was about 576 per 100, 000, according to the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), 2013,’’ she said.