Members of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly have joined a group of Civil Society Organisations in public sensitisation and advocacy for improved health budget implementation in the State.

The lawmakers and CSOs hit the streets of Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, recently to protest the development.

They were adorned in branded t-shirts and caps with the inscription: “Green-the-Red Health Sector Cluster.”

Some of them also bear customised placards with various inscriptions such as: Health Sector Deserve Adequate Funding and Support campaign for improved health budget performance.

Speaking for the lawmakers, the House of Assembly Committee Chairman on Health, Esther Agwu, said they decided to join the rally to underscore the importance of health in governance and society.

Agwu commended the Green-the-Red CSO Cluster led by Development and Integrity Intervention Goal Foundation for embarking on such people oriented advocacy, stressing that it has opened their eyes to some realities in budget implementation statistics in the State.

She noted that the administration of Governor Francis Nwifuru has prioritised and repositioned the health sector in the state and assured that they would continue to utilise their oversight mandate in working with the executive arm of government towards ensuring that the red spots in budget implementation statistics were turned green.

She said: “This project, we have started it, and on behalf of our team, the House Committee on Health of the state Assembly, I want to assure you that we will work together with the executive to ensure that every red in the health budget is turned to green.

“We will take the message home to the Speaker, and we will work with the executive, all relevant MDAs and persons to ensure that this laudable goal is achieved.”

Oliver Chima Aja, the Executive Director, DIG Foundation, who led the CSOs, explained that the road walk/rally was aimed at drumming support for enhanced health funding.

He explained that the health sector budget  performance analysis conducted by the Cluster with other CSOs, health workers and budget officials from relevant ministries as well as the media identified some funding gaps and advocacy issues, which, if addressed, would improve the primary healthcare system and services in Ebonyi State.

Ajah stressed: “According to budget performance review conducted by the Green-the-Red Cluster, 100 percent of capital budget for Ebonyi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Ebonyi State Hospital Management Board, School of health Technology  and School of Nursing and Midwifery in Ngbo and Uburu respectively, Ebonyi State Health Insurance Agency and Ebonyi State Committee on Food and Nutrition were not released in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

“As at March 2024, most of them have also not received releases from their approved budget.

“This is worrisome as most of the capital budgets are meant to improve primary healthcare services.”

Ajah called on all health relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies and authorities to always prioritise the presentation of fundable memos for consideration during executive council meetings.

He further urged all approving authorities to always expedite actions on memos from Agencies responsible for advancing primary health care in the state, among other requests.

He added: “We are calling on the Executive Governor to show more commitment to the health sector by ensuring the release of at least 70 percent capital budget components as required by the Ministry of Health and other agencies under it for improved health service delivery in the State.”

The Green-the-Red Cluster, led by Development and Integrity Intervention Goal Foundation, is currently implementing a USAID-Palladium SCALE project: “Addressing Accountability and Budgetary Concerns for Sustainable Healthcare in Ebonyi State.”