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Stakeholders have been charged to mobilise resources, promote prudent spending, transparency and accountability of COVID-19 and health security fund.
During a Half Day State Level Strategic Engagement of Oyo State Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and media on COVID-19 and Health Security Accountability, held at Mubo Laoye Hall, ARFH, Ikolaba, stakeholders were tasked to encourage people to take COVID-19 vaccine and communicate the risk of shying away from taking the vaccine.
Presenting Oyo State Accountability Scorecard on COVID-19 and Health Security (January- June 2022), one of the coordinators at Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN), Mrs Abiola Adefolaju, said although the state is ranked number five on the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) COVID-19 response and prevention list, there is still more work to be done to reach the top.
“The COVID-19 and health security accountability scorecard was developed through adaptation of indicators from the WHO’s Joint External Evaluation tool for evaluation of International Health Regulation (IHR) 2nd edition, review of government documents including budget and presentations, review of COVID-19 related government online dashboards, advocacy/retreat meetings with relevant government agencies, CSOs, media and young people.
“The scorecard was developed to report CSOs review on Oyo State’s capacity on preparedness and response to health security and COVID-19. The scorecard serves as an evidence tool to be used by all stakeholders including CSOs, professionals, media, advocates, young people and development partners to strategically influence actions that will mobilise resources, promote prudent spending, transparency and accountability of COVID-19 and health security fund,” she said.
Adefolaju noted that the scorecard indicators were grouped into two main categories; prevention and response.
Under prevention, the indicators include financing, coordination and advocacy, antimicobial resistance and immunization while emergency preparedness, response operations and risk communication were classified as indicators under response.
She said stakeholders need to propagate how to respond and prevent COVID-19 and other diseases and ensure sustainable capacity for all these indicators in Oyo State.
“I believe where there is a will, there is a way. If we all work together, our society will be free of COVID-19 and other health related issues,” she added.
In his goodwill message, the Director of Logistics and Control, Oyo State Primary Helathcare Board, Mr Olabode Opadele, said COVID-19 was well addressed in the state.
He said: “Oyo State is among the states that are doing well addressing COVID-19. There is still an effective access delivery system of COVID-19 vaccine in the state.”
Speaking, State Immunization Officer, Oyo State Primary Healthcare Board, Mrs Kudirat Bolarinwa, said the state has done a lot when it comes to vaccination and communication on diseases.
“We must have a very good communication on diseases. Three million people have been vaccinated with first, second and booster doses in Oyo State. Curtailing the spread of COVID-19 is one of the things each and everyone of us should be involved in,” she said.
In her welcome address, one of the AHBN coordinators, Mrs Taiwo Adebanjo said the programme was put together to look at how to collaborate in order for people to have access to COVID-19 vaccine and look at ways to improve on the scorecard indicators.
After the presentation, the stakeholders deliberated and came up with recommendations on how to ensure COVID-19 and health security fund accountability.
The recommendations inlcude: Advocate for Oyo State Government to map resources and institutionalise financing mechanism for health security including COVID-19 equitable recovery; Engage Ministry of Health for collaboration to monitor/track application, donors support,loans and government releases for health security and COVID-19; State Primary Healthcare Development Agency to strengthen community and CSOs involvement to increase utilisation of COVID-19 vaccines, improve routine immunization performance and support factual public information on COVID-19 in the state; Engage Ministry of Health and Ministry of Finance on publishing state government’s 2020, 2021 and 2022 COVID-19 and Health Security expenditure report; Engage the state government on availability of adequate COVID-19 vaccines in all the state’s vaccination centers aimed at increasing uptake of COVID-19 vaccines and Advocate for strengthening collaborative effort between legislators and CSOs for oversight on COVID-19 spending.