Eight civil society groups under the aegis of Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health (PACFaH) have called on Nigeria to increase health spending in efforts to reduce personal spending on healthcare and free up personal incomes to be spent on well-being.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, a member of PACFaH project, said economic stability of Nigerians was linked to their health status and financial productivity.
"Increased allocation for the Health Sector by the Government is a sure way of encouraging habitual healthy practice such as regular and proper handwashing by the citizens," said Remi Adeseun, director of the PACFaH programme at PSN, in a statement to mark the Global Handwashing Day.
PACFaH has backed two separate studies indicating handwashing can prevent one out of three diarrhoea infections and one in six respiratory infections like pneumonia.
Both diseases account for a combined 23% of nearly 900,000 deaths among children before they reach age five, according to the latest National Demographic Health Survey.
"Sanitation is a major contributing factor to these avoidable under-five years’ deaths," said Adeseun.
"More often than not, people tend to live healthy and practice good sanitary habits such as regular handwashing when they are more financially stable," Adeseun noted.
"With increased Health spending by the Government the cost of Healthcare Service Delivery will diminish thus freeing up more money for the citizens.
"Nigerians will now have more money to buy essential sanitation aids such as soap that will be used for properly handwashing."
