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27/04/2024
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The Legislative Initiative for Sustainable Development (popularly known as LISDEL) is an independent, non-profit organisation committed to safeguarding a reality that translates to a decent quality of life for Nigerians.

Prevent Epidemics (PE) Project

Background

Monumental socio-economic devastation caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic brings to the fore, the need to further engender and prioritize health security policy and funding globally and locally. The Nigeria Health Security landscape has witnessed considerable transformations in the last couple of years with significant investment in epidemic prevention, detection, and treatment by the National Centre for Disease Control. However, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has stretched the country’s health security infrastructure and exposed its suboptimal capacity to cope in the face of ravaging pandemic.

While a wide range of stakeholders are working relentlessly to stem the tide of the COVID-19 pandemic, minimize the ensuing economic hardship through various palliative measures and restore normalcy to the health sector, it is extremely important to leverage the prevailing situation to make an enduring case for building a more resilient health system alongside health security.

Based on the foregoing, Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) is partnering with the Legislative Initiative for Sustainable Development (LISDEL) to raise awareness around the need for increased and sustained epidemic preparedness funding in the Country.

GHAI is a core partner of Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL), an initiative of Vital Strategies, that has worked since 2017 to save lives by enhancing global health security. GHAI builds on 20 years of successful advocacy and lessons learned in the global fight against tobacco, and nearly 15 years of work across Africa to align tobacco control legislation with the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

Purpose

The PE Project currently in its 2nd Cycle is being implemented at the national level, in Kano and Lagos State, with the primary purpose of increasing federal funding for epidemic preparedness, particularly to NCDC, and increase State level funding for EPR in Kano and Lagos States.

Primary Objectives

  • To increase the federal release and utilization of 2021 health security appropriations and increase health security budgets for fiscal year 2022.

  • To increase Kano State’s release and utilization of 2021 health security appropriations, and increase health security budgets for fiscal year 2022

  • To increase health security budgets for fiscal year 2022 in Lagos State

Approach

The 2nd cycle of the PE Project is expected to build on and ensure sustainability of the successes achieved in the first cycle of the Project, chief among which are the improved funding for health security as indicated in the improved budgetary allocation and releases for the NCDC and the creation of budget lines for health security in Kano State.

During the 2nd cycle, LISDEL will:

  1. Facilitate the release of the allocated funds for EPR in 2021 at the national and State level.

  2. Advocate for further increase in EPR funding in the 2022 budget at the national and State level.

  3. Expand advocacy to other MDAs involved in the implementation of the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) at the national level.

  4. Follow-up and support for the completion of on-going processes, e.g., amendment of National Health Act and NCDC Act, domestication of NAPHS in Kano State and development of Kano State Legal Framework for Health security.

 

Purpose

The PE Project currently in its 2nd Cycle is being implemented at the national level, in Kano and Lagos State, with the primary purpose of increasing federal funding for epidemic preparedness, particularly to NCDC, and increase State level funding for EPR in Kano and Lagos States.

Primary Objectives

  • To increase the federal release and utilization of 2021 health security appropriations and increase health security budgets for fiscal year 2022.

  • To increase Kano State’s release and utilization of 2021 health security appropriations, and increase health security budgets for fiscal year 2022

  • To increase health security budgets for fiscal year 2022 in Lagos State

Approach

The 2nd cycle of the PE Project is expected to build on and ensure sustainability of the successes achieved in the first cycle of the Project, chief among which are the improved funding for health security as indicated in the improved budgetary allocation and releases for the NCDC and the creation of budget lines for health security in Kano State.

During the 2nd cycle, LISDEL will:

  1. Facilitate the release of the allocated funds for EPR in 2021 at the national and State level.

  2. Advocate for further increase in EPR funding in the 2022 budget at the national and State level.

  3. Expand advocacy to other MDAs involved in the implementation of the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) at the national level.

  4. Follow-up and support for the completion of on-going processes, e.g., amendment of National Health Act and NCDC Act, domestication of NAPHS in Kano State and development of Kano State Legal Framework for Health security.

From Our Gallery

 

 

The Federal Government of Nigeria funds epidemic preparedness and response through the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). During the first grant cycle, NCDC received a 75% increase in allocation in the 2021 budget compared to 2020 budget. The second phase of the project will support timely and complete release of the funds appropriated, and support advocacy for further increase in budget allocation for NCDC in line with the National Action Plan for Health Security. In addition to this, advocacy for epidemic preparedness budget allocation for other Ministries, Departments and Agencies involved in the implementation of NAPHS will also be conducted.

Advocacy activities during the first PE grant cycle resulted in creation of a budget line for epidemic preparedness and response, to which N300million was allocated in the Kano State 2021 budget. Also, the 44 Local Government Areas (LGAs) each allocated N2million to EPR in their 2021 budgets. This second grant cycle aims to support the state to ensure timely and complete disbursement and utilization of these funds at the state and LGA levels. During this phase, the State will also be supported to facilitate development of legal framework for health security and increased allocation for EPR in 2022 budget at the State and LGA levels.

The project will solicit for improved funding for epidemic preparedness and response in the 2022 appropriation through the Department of Public Health/Disease Control of the State Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and the State legislators.

The PE Project has continued to provide the requisite support to Nigeria to enhance the capacity of the country to adequately prepare for and respond to public health emergencies and disease outbreaks and ensure resilience during such periods. It has strengthened the policy landscape and improved funding and public investment for health security in Nigeria.