Winifred Bosa.

“Studies have shown that investments in health which leads to an increase in life expectancy by 1 year, can generate up to $19bn to the economy,” wife of Senate President, Dr. Mrs. Toyin Saraki, has revealed.

Speaking during an advocacy interface between the leadership of health related committees of the House of Representatives, the Ministry of Health and Development Partners Group (DPG) in Abuja on Monday; Mrs. Saraki said, “efficient and effective Primary Health Care (PHC) system is one that can cater to between 70-80% of the healthcare and health services needs of people.”

The House of Representatives had, late last year, organised a public hearing on the ‘Revitalisation of Primary Healthcare in Nigeria to avert a disaster in the Health Sector.’

In its determination to vigorously prosecute the resolutions from the public hearing, the leadership of health related committees of the House, unanimously appointed Mrs. Saraki, to chair a newly birthed outlook ‘Primary Healthcare Revitalization Support Group (PHCRSG).

In their separate remarks, Chairman of the House Committee on Healthcare Services, Hon. Chike Okafor, his deputy, Hon. Mohammed Usman and the Chairman, Committee on AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (ATM), Hon. Davematics Ombugadu, all admitted that the health sector has been underfunded and pledged to advocate for the Nigerian people through the instrumentality of legislative oversight.

The event witnessed the overwhelming support of the EU, WHO, USAID, UNICEF, CSOs, Federal Ministry of Health and other stakeholders; all promised to support Primary Healthcare services in Nigeria, to reduce mortality rate and other health hazards.