The Federal Government has disbursed N249.6bn to the Basic Health Care Provision Fund in three years to improve access to healthcare services across the country.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, disclosed this on Wednesday during a ministerial press briefing in Abuja to present the achievements, implementation updates and priorities of the fund under the President Bola Tinubu administration.
Salako, who spoke on behalf of the Ministerial Oversight Committee, said the intervention had supported thousands of primary healthcare centres and expanded access to health insurance for vulnerable Nigerians.
According to the figures presented at the briefing, 8,309 primary healthcare centres have received direct facility financing, while 3.18 million vulnerable Nigerians have benefited from health insurance supported by the fund.
The government also recorded 168,571 ambulance service episodes since 2023, while 96,068 women and newborns received support through maternal and newborn health interventions.
The briefing further indicated an increase in primary healthcare attendance, from 34.55 million in 2023 to 43.06 million by the second quarter of 2026.
The Basic Health Care Provision Fund was established to improve access to essential healthcare services, particularly for vulnerable populations, through investments in primary healthcare, health insurance and emergency medical services.
The ministerial briefing also highlighted plans to strengthen accountability mechanisms, expand the coverage of healthcare facilities and improve domestic financing for the health sector.
The initiative aligns with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, which seeks to improve healthcare delivery and advance Universal Health Coverage.
The government said the next phase of the reforms would focus on ensuring that increased health financing translated into improved access to essential services and better health outcomes for Nigerians.
