Healthcare Fund gets N35.03b in 2021 Budget

The Federal Government has earmarked  N35.03b for Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) in the 2021 Budget.
This is 1% of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
The Minister for Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, disclosed this at the public presentation of the 2021 budget in Abuja, Tuesday.
She revealed that the total budget for the entire health sector for the year 2021 is N600.52b.
BHCPF is a component of the National Health Act (NHA 2014).
Its overall objective is to ensure the provision of a Basic Minimum Package of Health Services (BMPHS) to all Nigerians and also strengthen the Primary Health Care (PHC) system.

Based on the NHAct 2014, this is to be achieved by disbursing 50% of the BHCPF through the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) via a pathway to be called the NHIS Gateway, which would purchase health services based on the BMPHS from providers nationwide; disbursement of 45% of BHCPF through the National Primary Health CareDevelopment Agency (NPHCDA Gateway) for the provision of essential drugs, vaccines and consumables for eligible primary health care facilities (20%), the provision and maintenance of facilities, laboratory, equipment and transport for eligible primary healthcare facilities (15%) and the development of Human Resources for Primary Health Care (10%); and utilization of 5% for the provision of Emergency Medical Treatment (EMT Gateway)/ galvanize
While breaking further the 2021 health budget, the Minister explained that the Ministry of Health and its agencies has been earmarked 514.80bn which include recurrent and capital.
GAVI/Immunisation Fund, on the other hand will get 45.19bn.
She noted that Counterpart Funding for donor supported programmes including Global Fund will gulp N5.5bn.
In implementing the 2021 budget, the Minister said, the projection is 40 dollars by barrel of crude and that  the projection run through 2022 and 2023.
She noted that in 2020, the crude oil production was put at 1.8m barrels per day, but that it is expected to grow to 1.86m barrels per day in 2021.
The exchange rate, according to her, is being projected at 379 naira per dollar.
“This will fluctuate depending on the rate in international market.  Inflation is projected to decline in 2021 from 14.89 per cent in December 2020 to 11.95 at the end of the year 2021.
“Nominal GDP is projected at 142 trillion naira in 2021 and is likely to increase to 151 trillion naira by 2023. GDP growth is projected   to be 3 per cent in 2021 and 4.68 per cent in 2022 and 3.86 per cent in 2023,” she said.