Professor Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, announced on Monday in Abuja that the Federal Government will join forces with state governments to enhance the accuracy and quality of data collected on healthcare facilities.
Speaking at the inaugural Quarterly Performance Dialogue, which brought together state commissioners for health, Professor Pate emphasized the importance of reviewing progress and promoting performance management and accountability for results.
This collaborative effort aims to improve the overall healthcare system.
Pate added, “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.”
The minister explained that the performance dialogue is in line with the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and the Sector-Wide Approach, reflecting the principles of cooperative federalism as enshrined in the National Health Act of 2014.
This act promotes collaboration and shared responsibility among all healthcare stakeholders, including government levels, 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,” the health minister noted.
Pate clarified that the agreement between the President, the Ministry, and its agencies aimed to achieve specific key performance indicators, and the quarterly performance dialogue is centered around tracking progress on those exact indicators.
He said, “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.”
Minister Pate encouraged states to monitor their progress based on specific indicators. He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s dedication to tracking service utilization and population satisfaction.
However, some commissioners highlighted the need to address data generation and processing challenges at health facilities to ensure a data-driven health sector. They emphasized the importance of improving data quality and capacity building for data managers.
Dr. Tomi Coker, Ogun State’s Health Commissioner, shared that her state had addressed this issue by hiring competent data managers and leveraging innovation to enhance data collection.
“If we become innovative and renew our workforce, we will be able to turn that around,” she highlighted.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the dialogue aims to foster collaboration among states to share experiences, challenges, and successes, identify key areas of need, and prioritize support.
It also seeks to assess states’ contributions to the national health system, facilitating knowledge sharing on technical issues and programmatic priorities to enhance overall performance.
