The National Health Act (NHAct) 2014 is amilestone in the national momentum to strengthen Nigeria's health system, achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC), and improve the nation's Health indices with the consequential improvement in economic productivity.
The NHAct 2014 was enacted to ensure improved health outeomes, by providing a legal framework for the provision of health care services and establish an organizational and management structure for the health system in Nigeria. To achieve the important objective of providing quality healthcare services to all Nigerians, the Act specifies that all Nigerians shall be entitled to a Basic Minimum Package of Health Services (BMPHS).
The BMPHS is a set of preventive, protective, promotive, curative, and rehabilitative health services to be developed and reviewed from time to time by the Minister of Health, after consultation with the National Council on Health (NCH).
The Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF or "The Fund") was established under Section 11 ofthe Act, as the principal funding vehicle for the BMPHS, whilst at the same time, serving to increase the fiscal space and overall financing to the health sector. It is expected that the attendant service upscale arising from application of this funding, would assist Nigeria achieve UHC. Funding of the BHCPF would be derived, as stipulated in the Act,from (a) an annual grant from the Federal Government of Nigeria of not less than one per cent (16) of its Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF); (b) grants by international donor partners; (C) funds trom any other sources, inclusive of the private sector.
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