By Aminu Abubakar

A SolaceBase review of budget performance reports has shown that states in Northwestern Nigeria failed to give priority to infrastructure provision for primary healthcare centres.

This development is despite the fact that Primary Healthcare Centres are usually the first responders to the health needs of residents of states, especially in rural areas.

Review shows that in 2023, Kano state budgeted the sum of N4.1 billion as capital need expenditure for Primary Healthcare but ended up spending zero naira at the end of the year

In Sokoto state, N100 million was budgeted for the capital needs of the Primary Healthcare Centre in 2023, however, no money was spent on the long run. As of the first quarter of the year 2024, the state however budgeted N890 million for the whole year and spent N308 million.

Read Also:Northern states look ill-prepared for 2024 floods

The situation is not different in Zamfara state where the primary healthcare board budgeted N420 million for Primary Healthcare Capital needs but spent nothing at the end of the year in 2023.

While the figure for primary healthcare provision was not mentioned for the 2024 fiscal year, the sum of N20.6 billion was budgeted for the Ministry of Health in 2024 and nothing was spent as of the first quarter of the year.

Katsina state primary healthcare agency also had no money to spend on infrastructure in 2023, as the state budgeted N60 million but spent zero naira. The same was repeated in 2024 as N1.5 billion is the full-year budget while the actual as of the first quarter stood at zero naira.

This development comes as the World Bank puts drug availability at primary healthcare facilities in Northwestern Nigeria at 34.5%.

According to the multidimensional poverty index, time to healthcare in Northwestern Nigeria stood at 44.5%, with Kano registering an abysmal 37.9%, Katsina 44.1%, Kebbi 47.3%, Sokoto 45.7%, Yobe 50.3% and Zamfara 45%.

This is also despite the fact that the Kano state child mortality stands at 109 per 1000 live deaths, and infant mortality at 62 per 1000 live births.

Read Also:From safe havens to ghost towns: How health workers battle to maintain healthcare amidst insecurity in Niger State

The situation in Katsina is not any better with 131 deaths for every live 1000 births in terms of Child Mortality.

Infant mortality stood at 66 per 1000 live births.

There are 1142 listed Primary Healthcare Centres in Kano, while there are 1463 PHCs in Katsina. The number of health facilities in Sokoto stands at 713.

Already health centres in Kano are said to suffer from poor facilities and infrastructures.

Already in Katsina state, there have been concerns over the state of the state’s health sector.

For instance, the state’s medical association expressed concerns over shortage of manpower in the state health sector.

In 2021, it was reported that 40% of health centres in Katsina are understaffed and dilapidated.