NGOs Urges Increased Funding in Health and Sanitation
Non Governmental Organizations, Budget Advocacy Network, Save the Children, Oxfam and World vision have called on the attention of Government for an increased funding for health and sanitation in both national and local council budgets.
The 2012 budget allocated 7.4 percent of the budget to healthcare and sanitation proportionately less than the allocation in 2009, sanitation has been chronically under funded with spending consistently falling from 0.027 percent of GDP in 2010 to 0.018 percent in 2012.
Allocations to primary healthcare have also been cut, with the 2012 budget dropping to a third of its 2012 level and its actual disbursements in 2011 was only Le 69.6 million, which represents a fraction of the Le 4.4 billion allocated.
Heather Kerr Country Director of Save the Children said Sierra Leone needs nurses, medicines and clinics, adding that the government has made great strides forward with the free healthcare initiative, but its progress is hampered without increased investment to match the urgent health needs that people are facing, noting that the government needs to ensure that budget allocations for primary and reproductive healthcare are actually delivered, and that these allocations increase.
Grace Ommer, Country Director of Oxfam, said investment in sanitation and hygiene is critical to ensure Sierra Leone doesn’t face cholera outbreak in future years, adding that the government’s commitment to spend one percent of its GDP on sanitation is very welcome but now needs to become a reality, she said this means more communal toilets, improved waste collection in communities and safe treatment and disposal of waste.
Leslie Scott, National Director of World Vision said investment in health care is critical at local levels stressing that frontline staff like community health workers play an important role in the delivery of healthcare in Sierra Leone, adding that if the health facilities and skilled staff aren’t available, then people will miss out on the healthcare they need and deserve, noting that Le 1.7 billion discrepancy in 2011 could have paid for an additional 277 additional frontline health workers alone.
Ambrose James from Budget Advocacy Network (BAN) said rigorous record keeping is needed at local levels and finance officers can’t continue to be moved between councils otherwise institutional knowledge is lost, adding that local councils also need to start budget based on the health and sanitation needs of citizens. This will ensure there is strategic investment in health and sanitation, enabling the sector to grow.
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