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Only 3.3% of the federal government’s health budget goes to mental health. The N340.45 billion 2018 health budgetary allocation is less than the estimated N359.2 billion that Nigerians spend on medical tourism annually. 3.3% of the N1,888 healthcare allocation per citizen is N62.3 for mental health care per citizen.
The mental health care sector continue to receive far smaller budget than mainstream healthcare sectors, 17 years after the Nigerian government's pledged at the 'Abuja Declaration". This continues to create a huge gap between access to mental and physical health services.
My recommendation for putting out this article is for health policy makers and the National Assembly to increase allocation to mental health services, with more/equal attention to mental health services as physical health.
Sadly, only 3.9 percent of the total 2018 budget was allocated to the health sector, a far cry from the recommendation of the Abuja Declaration. This represents a further reduction in allocation from the 4.23 and 4.16 percent and percent that the health sector got in the 2016 and 2017 budgets respectively.
A closer look at the budget showed that the government plans to spend N1,888 on each citizen for the whole year. Furthermore, the N340.45 billion budgetary allocation is less than the estimated N359.2 billion that Nigerians spend
on medical tourism annually.
Lumumba quoted earlier also said "This is the time for Nigeria to provide leadership in politics. This is the time for the Nigerian President, members of parliament and local leaders to liberate themselves and recognize that politics must be sanitized. It is time for Nigeria to know that her GDP must no longer be held down at $500 billion but at $3 trillion GDP economy".
Her decision to cut down the budget follows criticisms that were raised by some members of parliament and civil society in the country, when she presented the Sh1.1trillion budget in 2017. "It was too high, unrealistic and donor dependent (the government is still promising the same things that have not yet been implemented in 2017/2018). So, this year, we have decided to lower it. Our aim is to now focus on reducing dependency on donor support.”
My recommendation for putting out this article is for health policy makers and the National Assembly to increase allocation to mental health services, with more/equal attention to mental health services as physical health.
Quick Facts:
- No desk exists in the ministries at any level for mental health in Nigeria
- Only 3.3% of the federal government’s health budget goes to mental health.
- Only 3.9% of the total 2018 Nigeria budget was allocated to the health sector, a far cry from the recommendation of the Abuja Declaration.
- The health sector got 4.23 and 4.16 % in the 2016 and 2017 budgets respectively, representing a further reduction in 2018 allocation.
- Only N1,888 (5..3 USD) will be spent on each citizen for the whole year.
- The N340.45 billion budgetary allocation is less than the estimated N359.2 billion that Nigerians spend on medical tourism annually.
- In terms of ranking, health was 12th on the priority list as Power, Works and Housing got the highest capital project proposal with N555.88 billion, almost 8 times that of health, in the 2018 budget.
- Nigeria is placed at 3rd highest in infant mortality rate in the world.
- Monkeypox, Measles and Lassa fever, poliomyelitis, high maternal and child deaths are notably being tackled without attention to its mental health impacts.
- Nigeria is rated 187th out of 191 countries in terms of health care delivery. Also, one-third of more than 700 health facilities have been destroyed in the country and about 3.7 million people are in need of health assistance-according to World Health Organization, WHO)
RELATED:Where is our Mental health Policy? Economic Burden of Mental Disorders
26 countries had increased the proportion of government expenditures allocated to health and 11 had reduced it. In the remaining 9 countries, there was no obvious trend up or down.N1,888 per Citizen for Healthcare?
Trends in Nigeria health budget it was only in 2012 that the country recorded the highest percentage allocated from the national budget to the health sector-5.95%. since the Abuja declaration. Any positive "change" in the 2018 allocation?Sadly, only 3.9 percent of the total 2018 budget was allocated to the health sector, a far cry from the recommendation of the Abuja Declaration. This represents a further reduction in allocation from the 4.23 and 4.16 percent and percent that the health sector got in the 2016 and 2017 budgets respectively.
on medical tourism annually.
Lumumba quoted earlier also said "This is the time for Nigeria to provide leadership in politics. This is the time for the Nigerian President, members of parliament and local leaders to liberate themselves and recognize that politics must be sanitized. It is time for Nigeria to know that her GDP must no longer be held down at $500 billion but at $3 trillion GDP economy".
Notably, there have been an increase in the call for improved health allocation by key stakeholders, including pressure , advocacy groups and Civil Society Organizations strongly recommending the implementation of the Abuja Declaration, with emphasis on communicable disease/physical health. What about the Mental Health sector? Why the silence?
No desk exists in the ministries at any level for mental health and only 3.3% of the federal government’s health budget goes to mental health.
Indifference, lack of political will, lack of national research agenda and clear concepts of by policy makers on what constitutes mental health/illness are major barriers to the government approach to the implementation of the mental health policy and health policy inclusive.
The country’s only existing Mental Health Policy document was formulated in 1991. Although a bill for the establishment of a Mental Health Act was introduced in 2003 and re-introduced to the National Assembly in 2013, this is yet to be passed into law..
Did you know that mental disorders have an enormous individual and societal financial burden. Research shows that this impact appears more severe in males. Poor funding also have implications for access to mental health care, policies and research. Subscribe by email or follow us on social media to get further details. Meanwhile read ahead findings on Tanzanian and Ghana experiences.
No desk exists in the ministries at any level for mental health and only 3.3% of the federal government’s health budget goes to mental health.
Indifference, lack of political will, lack of national research agenda and clear concepts of by policy makers on what constitutes mental health/illness are major barriers to the government approach to the implementation of the mental health policy and health policy inclusive.
The country’s only existing Mental Health Policy document was formulated in 1991. Although a bill for the establishment of a Mental Health Act was introduced in 2003 and re-introduced to the National Assembly in 2013, this is yet to be passed into law..
Did you know that mental disorders have an enormous individual and societal financial burden. Research shows that this impact appears more severe in males. Poor funding also have implications for access to mental health care, policies and research. Subscribe by email or follow us on social media to get further details. Meanwhile read ahead findings on Tanzanian and Ghana experiences.
Tanzanian Trail blazer Until now
Until April, 2018, Tanzanian was the only African country to have met this target, but Ummy Mwalimu, Tanzania’s minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, on Friday April 20, told the parliament that her country was not bound to raising its healthcare budget to keep up with the Abuja Declaration benchmarks but added that her government would continue investing the little resources it has to attain the signed targets. The budget for 2018/19 financial year which was lower—by 19 percent—by previously passed budget for the 2017/18 financial year, pledging to cut down maternal mortality, improve child health in many regions across the country and prevent Non-Communicable Diseases.Her decision to cut down the budget follows criticisms that were raised by some members of parliament and civil society in the country, when she presented the Sh1.1trillion budget in 2017. "It was too high, unrealistic and donor dependent (the government is still promising the same things that have not yet been implemented in 2017/2018). So, this year, we have decided to lower it. Our aim is to now focus on reducing dependency on donor support.”
The Ghanian Experience
Ghana pledged to use two per cent of their annual budget in health (15%) will go into in-depth research in the field. However, Dr Abraham Hodgson, Director of Research at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), indicated that though successive governments earmarked the said amount in their annual budgets, the money was not made available to researchers in the sector. "It has been difficult operationalising the 2% commitment to support research in the country." - the Ghanaian Times, July 10 2018).
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