The Coalition of Faith-Based Associations in Nasarawa State has called for increased budgetary allocation to the state’s healthcare sector.
The group said the demand, if granted, would effectively tackle child and family health issues.
The leader of the Coalition in the state, Hajiya Rakiya Jibril-Ali, made the call on Tuesday during an advocacy visit to the state Commissioner for Health in Lafia.
Jibril-Ali, who is also the Amirah of the Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN), said that the aim of the visit was to synergies with the state government toward improving healthcare delivery.
“We want to partner the Nasarawa State Government by appealing for increased budgetary allocation for the health sector and to enact laws that will help improve child and family health.
“We are focusing mainly in areas of nutrition, routine immunization, family planning and child killer diseases,” she added.
She said that the group would pay an advocacy visit to Gov. Umaru Al-Makura on the same issue, adding that the support from the governor will facilitate the activities of the group.
Jibril-Ali said the coalition was ready to always complement government’s effort toward improving healthcare delivery in the state.
Responding, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Daniel Iya, lauded the initiative of the coalition in addressing issues of child and maternal health.
Iya, represented by the Permanent Sectary, Dr Hamza Gayam, added that all the issues raised by the group were already being handled by the ministry.
He said that the state government was working toward increasing budgetary allocation of the health sector to effectively pay attention to areas that were previously neglected.
The membership of group cuts across FOMWAN, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), among others.