Doctors Criticize FG’s 2026 Budget for Allocating Only 4.3% to Health

The President of the Paediatricians Association of Nigeria (PAN), Dr Ekanem Ekure, has criticised the 4.3 per cent health allocation in the 2026 national budget, describing it as a clear sign of insufficient investment in the health and future of Nigerian children.

Ekure also called for urgent medical care and comprehensive remediation for victims of the Ogijo lead poisoning crisis linked to recycled battery factories, stressing that children make up the majority of those affected. She argued that the incident should prompt stronger regulatory enforcement and coordinated national action to protect vulnerable children.

She made the remarks on Thursday in Abeokuta at the opening of PAN’s 57th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference, themed “Achieving SDG-3 and Child Health Care through Innovative Funding Models and Technology-Driven Solutions.” According to her, the theme reflected the urgent need to address Nigeria’s child health challenges and mobilise action from professionals, government, and other stakeholders.

Highlighting the country’s ongoing struggles, Ekure said Nigeria continues to face a disproportionate burden of preventable childhood illnesses and high mortality rates. “Despite notable efforts, neonatal mortality remains at 41 per 1,000 live births and under-five mortality at 110 per 1,000. Persistent malnutrition, inadequate immunisation coverage, and unequal access to quality child health services continue to affect millions of children,” she said.

On the Ogijo lead poisoning crisis in Ogun State, Ekure acknowledged the closure of the offending factories but emphasised that full remediation, medical intervention, regulatory enforcement, and national protection for affected children remain essential.

She also highlighted other threats to children nationwide, including abductions from schools and markets, particularly in northern regions, as well as challenges from poverty, insecurity, climate change, and emerging health risks. She stressed that paediatricians, as daily witnesses to these realities, have a moral responsibility to speak out.

Ekure noted that Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG-3) aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all, particularly by ending preventable deaths of newborns and children under five. “While Nigeria’s policies align with this goal, the country remains off track in achieving it,” she said.

According to Ekure, achieving SDG-3 by 2030 will require accelerated action, sufficient financing, and innovative approaches beyond traditional methods. She lamented that allocating only 4.3 per cent to health in the 2026 budget — far below the 15 per cent Abuja Declaration target — reflects poor prioritisation of child health.

She called for innovative funding strategies, including public-private partnerships, blended financing, and outcome-based funding linked to independently verified results. Ekure also highlighted the role of technology in improving immunisation coverage, disease surveillance, data utilisation, and access to healthcare through telemedicine and digital platforms.

Reaffirming PAN’s commitment to translating knowledge into action, Ekure urged the Federal Government to demonstrate strong political will, treating child health as a national development priority rather than a sectoral issue. She also encouraged state governments to increase health sector allocations, with a focus on immunisation, nutrition, primary healthcare, and maternal and child health services. “Investing in child health is a cost-effective way to improve outcomes and drive social and economic development,” she added.

Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Health, Dr Isiaq Salako, represented by the Deputy Director of Child Health, Dr Omokore Oluseyi, reiterated the government’s commitment to reducing child mortality. Salako said the National Child Survival Action Plan had been finalised, focusing on interventions such as newborn resuscitation, integrated nutrition services, and community-based management of childhood illnesses.

“To support these initiatives, the ministry is digitalising the integrated community management platform to enhance real-time diagnosis, referrals, and data collection,” he said. Salako noted that Nigeria accounts for over 17 per cent of global under-five deaths, with preventable causes including prematurity, pneumonia, malaria, and malnutrition. He called on stakeholders to assist in implementing the plans and addressing operational challenges in newborn care, child nutrition, and digital health.

In a keynote lecture, Professor Olugbenga Mokolu, a paediatrics expert at the University of Ilorin and Strategic Adviser to the Ministry of Health on Malaria Elimination, emphasised the critical role of innovative financing and technology deployment in achieving SDG targets, particularly in reducing child mortality.