HERFON Urges For Implementation of 2014 National Health Act

The Sokoto state Chapter of the Health Reform Foundation of Nigeria (HERFON) is advocating the need for domestication and full implementation of the National Health Act 2014.

Malam Bello A. Bello, the chairman of the HERFON Sokoto state chapter, gave this advice at the advocacy visits to some key stakeholders in the sector in the state recently.

Malam Bello said the measure would afford the less privileged and workforce to have access to quality basic health care services.

According to him, the advocacy visits were in view of the Act’s significance in addressing healthcare service challenges to the common man.

He commended the Sokoto state government for the establishment of SOCHEMA and SPHCDA which he said were part of the provisions of the NHAct 2014.

In his comments, the Programme Manager HERFON national office, Dr. Opeyemi Adeosun, urged the Sokoto state government to rejig the already established committee and inaugurate members to review the Act and make it more active.

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Dr. Adeosun also harped on the need for the state assembly to revise the act and name it the “Sokoto State Health Act 2022”.

The programme manager hoped that the Sokoto State Governor would assent to the Act as soon as possible.

Responding, the Sokoto state Head of Service, Malam Abubakar Muhammad, assured the delegation of the full support of the State government with a view to achieving the desired objectives.

Malam Muhammad noted that the state government is always ready to collaborate with any organization wishing to contribute to having a healthy society.

He praised the organisation for the advocacy visit.

Also visited by stakeholders were the State House of Assembly Committee on Health, the state Commissioner of Health, the Commissioner of the Ministry of Justice, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for Budget and Economic Planning, and the Head of Service.