USAID commits $45m to improving primary healthcare in FCT

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to improve healthcare services to residents in the territory.

The Mission Director of USAID/Nigeria, Anne Patterson, while signing the MOU, said USAID plans to commit $45 million over the five years period through four existing health activities namely: the Integrated Health Programme, Breakthrough Action, Health Workforce Management, and the Global Health Supply Chain.

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“The purpose of the MOU is to support the revitalisation of the FCT healthcare system to deliver quality, affordable, and sustainable preventive and primary healthcare services to the residents of FCT. With the signing of this MOU, USAID expects to apply global best practices and provide high-level technical expertise to assist the FCTA to meet their health improvement goals to operationalise their health plans and their reform strategies,” she said.

The MoU specified that the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) would serve as the baseline for an overall health status improvement, while the 2023 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey would serve as the end line survey.

The MoU also acknowledged the Federal Government and FCT Health and Human Services Secretariat policies, standards, and implementation guidelines for achieving health systems strengthening, especially Primary Health Care Under One Roof (PHCUOR) and Primary Health Care (PHC) systems and service delivery.

FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, while signing on behalf of the FCT Administration, acknowledged the tremendous role of USAID/Nigeria in the development of healthcare facilities in the FCT, stating that the administration would actively sustain and build on the cost-effective intervention of this partnership.

The minister recalled that USAID had recently supported the FCT Administration with a $20 million investment in family planning and reproductive health interventions, supporting facilities to improve service delivery, distributing contraceptive commodities, and increasing demand among local communities for these services and products.