CSJ releases advocacy book to achieve UHC through PHC in Sokoto State

The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) has released a new book which is the outcome of a research themed “Achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Through Budgeting For Primary Health Care (PHC).

The publication is designed as an advocacy manual focused on Budgeting for Primary Health Care (PHC) as an entry point for improving Universal Health Coverage in Sokoto State. PHC is part of tripod including secondary and tertiary health care and UHC and PHC are part of the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health which accrues to all individuals without discrimination on the grounds of sex, religion, political opinion, place of birth or orientation among other things.

The Study is designed as an advocacy tool for improving funding for PHC in Sokoto State. It is to be used for various levels of advocacy engagement to relevant stakeholders working on PHC in the State and to develop training materials for capacity building of both State and non-state actors working on improving PHC services.

The Study focuses on Sokoto State and seven (7) of its total 23 Local Government Councils viz: Binji, Yabo, Sokoto North, Sokoto South, Gwadabawa, Tambuwal and Wurno. The established baseline is premised on the state records of poor PHC indicators including maternal and child health, family planning, water and sanitation, doctors and nurses as a ratio of the population.

The overall objective of this Study is to produce an advocacy tool with which to improve the budgetary process especially as it relates to funding for the attainment of UHC in Sokoto State.

Other objectives include: analyze the state and focal local government budgets so as to reveal possible gaps, deficiencies, challenges, value for money issues in the budgeting process; analyze the policies and legal standards governing PHC as well as budgetary and non-budgetary funding sources for PHC; and link analyses with relevant Public Finance Management (PFM) laws and policies operational in Nigeria and in Sokoto state. Furthermore, make recommendations on good practices of budgeting for PHC, especially to meet the minimum core obligations of the state and proffer general and specific recommendations following the findings.