FG, states collaborate on improved data collection of health facilities

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, says the Federal Government will begin collaborations with state governments to improve the quality of data gathered on health facilities.

Pate disclosed this on Monday in Abuja at the Inaugural Quarterly Performance Dialogue with State Commissioners for Health.

The objective of the dialogue is to review progress against key indicators to promote performance management and accountability for results.

“We are now going to be working with them to improve the quality of the data to audit it, so that we can also triangulate with some other service.

“This is so that over time, the divergence between the data sources will be reduced,” he said.

Pate said that the performance dialogue aligned with the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (HSRII) and the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) as it embodied the spirit of cooperative federalism mandated by the National Health Act of 2014.

He added that the Act called for shared responsibility and collaboration among all health providers across various levels of government, the private sector, and development partners.

“On Dec. 12, 2023, President Bola Tinubu, unveiled the HSRII. On this occasion all state governors and the FCT signed a compact with the Federal Government to work collaboratively towards improving population health outcomes for all Nigerians.

“We are immensely grateful to our development partners who have joined this effort, ensuring that resources are directed towards priority areas that will significantly enhance health outcomes for our citizens.

“This initiative is not just about cooperation; it is also about accountability. We have agreed to hold each other accountable, learn together, and work together through regular performance dialogues and evaluations.

“These sessions will help us stay informed about our progress, identify areas needing more attention, and ensure that we continuously improve,” he added.

Speaking about the compact signed between the president, the ministry and its agencies, Pate said it was to achieve several key indicators, adding that the performance dialogue was based on those indicators.

“These include improving Penta 3 coverage, increasing the proportion of fully immunised children, reducing the number of zero-dose children and enhancing the proportion of deliveries attended by skilled birth attendants.

“Others are improving antenatal care coverage, and increasing access to health insurance and primary healthcare services.”

Pate urged the states to track their progress against these indicators.

He reiterated the federal government’s commitment to tracking the utilisation rates of various services and the satisfaction of the nation’s population.

Some of the commissioners, however, reported that data generation and processing were issues that needed to be addressed at facilities to ensure proper data-driven health sector.

They opined that how to improve the quality of data generated across board should be one of their major priorities.

The Commissioner for Health, Ogun State, Dr Tomi Coker, said that most of the data managers employed in the health facilities in the state did not have the capacity to collect data.

To correct that, she said that those with the capacity to do so were employed, adding that innovation was also a step in the right direction.

“If we become innovative and renew our workforce we will be able to turn that around,” she said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the dialogue aims to facilitate cross-state problem-solving sessions, elevate state perspectives, challenges and wins to understand biggest need areas and prioritise areas of support.

It also seeks to understand the performance and contribution of states’ performance to the National Health System to provide opportunities to connect on technical topics and programmatic priorities.