• Epidemiologists warn that the current situation leaves Nigeria “unprepared” for emerging epidemics and pandemics.
• With only N7.7 billion for health security in the 2023 budget proposal, NAPHS falls short of the N134 billion target for the five-year cycle.
An examination of the proposed budget allocation for health security for 2023 reveals a 13% decrease in allocation from the 2022 approval to the 2023 proposal. In some cases, the reduction can be as high as 233%.
The National Action Plan on Health Security (NAPS) for Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) budget analyses show deficits in the proposed budget for 2023.
The breakdown of the health security budget for the fiscal years 2021, 2022, and 2023 shows an increase in most budget lines from 2021 to 2022 but a decrease in over 90% of budget lines from 2022 to 2023.
A total of 32 budget lines related to health security were examined. According to additional research, N5,175,527,623 was approved for health security budget lines in 2021, N8,870,922,330 in 2022, and N7,754,337,084 in 2023. This represents a 13% decrease (N1,116,585,246) from the 2022 approval to the 2023 proposal.
Despite the obvious threat of emerging epidemics and pandemics, epidemiologists and healthcare professionals are concerned about the implications of budgeting less for health security. They believe that the world, and specifically Nigeria, will be hit by a global epidemic of a deadly infectious disease, killing millions of people.
The Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service approved N92,000,000 for drug residues in animal products for export in 2021, N33,250,000 in 2022, and only N2,000,000 in 2023. This means that the proposed budget for 2023 is 94% (N31,250,000) less than that of 2022.
Furthermore, the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) budget for the national food safety sensitisation workshop, development of food safety manuals, and development of foodborne illness sentinel sites; food safety event preparation and response (surveillance and detection for foodborne pathogens, contaminants, and diseases); national food safety management committee (NFSMC) activities, and food committee meetings decreased from N18,550,908 in 2022 to N9,275,454 in 2023. A breakdown shows a 50% reduction (N9,275,454) between 2022 and 2023. In 2021, however, there were no budgets for food safety.
Under the FMoH, there was no budget in 2021 for the rehabilitation of port health thermal scanners at various points of entry, but analysis showed a decrease from N15,616,836 in 2022 to N7,808,418 in 2023. This also demonstrates a 50% reduction (N7,808,418) from 2022.
Under the FMoH, there were zero budgets for ambulances and consumables for the Public Health Service (PHS) in 2021, but a reduction from N85,182,741 in 2022 to N42,591,371 in 2023. This also shows a 50% decrease (N42,591,370) from 2022 to 2023.
There was no budget for 2021 for strengthening Port Health inspection capacity under the FMoH, but there was a reduction from N23,661,872 in 2022 to N11,830,936 in 2023, a 50% reduction (N 11,830,936).
Under the FMoH, there was no budget for PHS office remodelling/renovation and construction of new port health offices in six geopolitical zones in 2021, but a reduction from N141,971,235 in 2022 to N70,985,618, which is 50% (N70,985,617) less.
Under the FMoH, N30,932,949 was approved for the establishment of an environmental health and sanitation surveillance system in Nigeria in 2021, N15,000,000 in 2022, and N50,000,000 in 2023. This represents a 233% (N35,000,000) increase from 2022 to 2023.
