Health: CSO Calls for creation of budget line for Integrated Supportive supervision in Ebonyi

A Civil Society Organization, Life Transformation for Africa Initiative has called for the creation of a budget line for Integrated Supportive Supervision activities in the 2025 budget in Ebonyi state. The program manager, Life Transformation for Africa Initiative, Mr. Ezeani Chiemezie made the disclosure during the media roundtable in Abakaliki, Ebonyi state capital.

The program manager, Ezeani who stated that the state has five hundred and four(504) primary health centers explained that findings have proven that only one hundred and seventy one,(171) which is one per ward are adequately supervised and called on the Ebonyi government to create budget line for Integrated Supportive supervision in the 2025 budget. Ezeani, who noted that the initiative, anchored by the Life Transformation for Africa Initiative, aimed at achieving the USAID-funded five-year Health System Strengthening Cluster project in the state. He added that the project, implemented by Palladium in collaboration with Nigeria Resource Partners (RPS), is titled “Improved Quality Healthcare Service Delivery through ISS.”

He also called for establishment of a Private sector engagement unit in all the Primary Health Centers Department of Local Government Areas in Ebonyi, adding that it would enhance quality service delivery as well performances. According to him, "Findings have shown that only main Primary Health Centers per Ward are regularly supervised. "The rest does not receive regular supervision like the main Primary Health Centers.The current structure and placement of Integrated Supportive Supervision (ISS) is suboptimal and, therefore, limits the capacity of integrated supportive supervision to effectively engage through a sector-wide approach for effective implementation. He added that domestic financial support for Integrated Supportive Supervision in Ebonyi was inadequate, leading to a high dependency on donor funding. "Domestic financing support for Integrated Supportive Supervision is inadequate and there is high dependency on donor funding. " Over the years, many health programs have been heavily funded by donors supporting integrated supportive supervision activities, tuberculosis (TB), HIV etc. " Although donor support is important, this is mostly unsustainable and has debilitating effects on ISS continuity. "High Cost of Fuel and Transportation is Negatively Impacting ISS Activities in all the Target States. "The current hike in fuel prices and its attendant high cost of transport has negatively affected the frequency and coverage of Primary Healthcare Centers, especially health facilities located in hard-to-reach communities limiting supervision activities to main primary healthcare centers of every Ward. " Supervision activities are conducted more in those facilities that receives the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund and other interventions, thereby leaving out the remaining health clinics and health posts inadequate trained and certified supervisors and dearth of data collection tools.

"This however, is grossly inadequate, and the reliance on donors funding in conducting supervision is unsustainable. "The non-inclusion of private sector partners in funding and supporting ISS activities in the State, is robbing the state off valuable resources. "Finally, the nonexistence of a Technical Working Group to plan and implement ISS activities in the State is having a negative impact on ISS activities.  " To ensure quality healthcare service delivery, facilitate sustainable knowledge transfer and regular mentorship of healthcare service providers, we recommend the followings:. "Creation of a budget line for Integrated Supportive Supervision activities in the 2025 budget of the state, establishment of a technical working group to support the Integrated Supportive Supervision activities in the state. Establishment of Private Sector Engagement Unit in the Primary Healthcare Department of Local Government Areas to assist in mobilizing resources for ISS activities.Integration of all Health facilities supervision activities to save cost. " If all primary health centers in Ebonyi state are adequately supervised, it would guarantee quality Healthcare service delivery in the State." Ezeani stated.