Nigeria Daily News: FOI: SERAP Seeks Documents On How Much Is Spent To Prevent Maternal Mortality

FOI: SERAP Seeks Documents On How Much Is Spent To Prevent Maternal Mortality
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Staff on 15/08/2012 08:36:00


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By Adetokunbo Mumuni/SERAP
A civil society group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP)
has sent a Freedom of Information request to Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu Minister
for Health asking him to provide “within 7 days of the receipt or publication
of this request information on the spending relating to maternal health care
delivery system and prevention and/or reduction of deaths of women in pregnancy
and childbirth in the country for the past five years.”
In the request dated 13 August 2012 and signed by SERAP Executive Director
Adetokunbo Mumuni, the organization said, “SERAP is seriously concerned about
the worsening rate of maternal mortality in Nigeria, which is one of the highest
ratios globally. Women in rural areas share a considerable percentage of this
ratio. The main cause of maternal mortality suffered by the vulnerable sectors
of the population is the lack of access of pregnant women to adequate,
affordable and accessible healthcare services.”
The organization also said that, “This situation constitutes a violation of
the human rights such as the right to life and the right to health guaranteed by
the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights which Nigeria has ratified
and incorporated as national law through the Ratification and Enforcement Act
(Cap A9) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.”
“SERAP’s recent study suggests that these rights have been grossly violated
by the government despite claims of huge spending in the health sector to
prevent and combat the problem of maternal mortality in the country. We are
concerned that progress in this area may have been compromised by high level
official corruption,” the organization also said.
According to the organization “Article 16 of the African Charter states that
every individual has the right to enjoy the best attainable state of physical
and mental health. State parties, including Nigeria, have an obligation under
the African Charter to take necessary measures to protect the health of their
people and to ensure that they receive medical attention when they are sick. No
discrimination is allowed in the enjoyment of this and other human rights.”
The organization also argued that “Article 14 of the Protocol to the African
Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, which
Nigeria has also ratified, requires the government to ensure that the right to
health of women, including pregnant women, is guaranteed, respected, protected
and promoted.  In particular, the government is required to “take all
appropriate measures to establish and strengthen existing pre-natal, delivery
and post-natal health and nutritional services for women during pregnancy and
while they are breast-feeding.”
The organization said that “by virtue of Sections 2(3)(d)(ii)-(V) & (4) of the
FOI Act, the Ministry of Health as an agency of the Federal Government is under
a binding legal duty to ensure that documents containing information relating to
statements and interpretations of policy which have been adopted  by the
ministry are widely disseminated and made readily available to members of the
public through various means.”
SERAP is therefore asking the Minister for the following information:
1.    How much has been allocated to the health sector from the National
Health budget in the past five years (2008- till present)?
2.    How much has been spent by the ministry to reduce and/or prevent women
dying in pregnancy and childbirth in Nigeria in the past five years (2008- till
present)?
3.    What are the measures employed by the ministry to reduce the maternal
mortality rate in Nigeria for the past five years (2008- till present)?
4.    What policies of Government are in place to ensure the prevention
and/or reduction of maternal mortality in both public and private hospitals in
Nigeria?
5.    A comprehensive list of all public-private partnerships entered into by
the Federal Government within the past five years for the prevention and/or
reduction of maternal mortality.
6.    A detailed schedule of implementation of the recently concluded payment
plan by the Federal Government of Nigeria on maternal and child health care from
the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P). What version of the
Sure Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) is the payment plan by the
Federal Government to be made out from? (The Re-called version or the Re-worked
version?)
7.    How much has the ministry allocated to provide adequate medical
facilities for the prevention and/or reduction of maternal mortality in both
public and private hospitals?
8.    What measures (standards) does the ministry have in place to ensure
proper monitoring for the prevention and/or reduction of maternal mortality in
private hospitals? What sanctions are in place?”
Signed
Adetokunbo Mumuni
SERAP Executive Director
www.serap-nigeria.org
15/08/2012