By Brenda Chidinma Imo-Eze
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), in collaboration with Palladium and Nigeria Resource Partners (RPs), have urged the Ebonyi State Government to include a budget line for Integrated Supportive Supervision (ISS) activities in the 2025 budget. The call came during a media roundtable held in Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi state.
The Program Manager of Life Transformation for Africa Initiative (LIFT4AFRICA),Mr. Ezeani Chiemezie,stressed on the critical need for ISS funding.
He pointed out that Ebonyi state has 504 primary health centers (PHCs), but only 171 of these centers, which amounts to one per ward, receive adequate supervision.
This lack of comprehensive supervision, he argued, severely undermines the quality of healthcare delivery across the state.
Ezeani stressed that without dedicated funding for ISS, the state’s healthcare system would continue to struggle with inefficiencies and poor service delivery.
“The current structure and placement of ISS are suboptimal, limiting its capacity to effectively engage in a sector-wide approach,” he said. “This is why we are calling on the Ebonyi government to create a budget line for ISS in the 2025 budget.”
The initiative, titled “Improved Quality Healthcare Service Delivery through ISS,” is a USAID-funded five-year Health System Strengthening Cluster project aimed at enhancing healthcare delivery in Ebonyi state.
The project is anchored by Life Transformation for Africa Initiative and implemented by Palladium in collaboration with Nigeria Resource Partners (RPs).
The goal is to ensure that healthcare providers receive the necessary oversight, skills, and knowledge transfer to improve their performance and service delivery.
One of the key recommendations made by Ezeani is the establishment of a private sector engagement unit within the Primary Health Centers Departments of Local Government Areas in Ebonyi.
This unit, he explained, would play a crucial role in mobilizing resources for ISS activities, thereby reducing the heavy reliance on donor funding.
“Domestic financial support for ISS in Ebonyi is inadequate, leading to high dependency on donor funding,” Ezeani noted. “While donor support is important, it is mostly unsustainable and has debilitating effects on ISS continuity.”
Ezeani identified several challenges facing ISS activities in Ebonyi, including the high cost of fuel and transportation, which has negatively impacted the frequency and coverage of supervision, especially in hard-to-reach communities.
He also pointed out that supervision activities are primarily conducted in facilities receiving the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund and other interventions, leaving many health clinics and health posts without adequate oversight.
Furthermore, he emphasized the need for more trained and certified supervisors, as well as improved data collection tools, to ensure effective supervision.
“The reliance on donor funding for conducting supervision is unsustainable,” he said.
“The non-inclusion of private sector partners in funding and supporting ISS activities in the state is depriving the state of valuable resources. Additionally, the absence of a Technical Working Group to plan and implement ISS activities in the state is having a negative impact.”
To address these issues, the CSOs recommended the creation of a budget line for ISS activities in the 2025 state budget, the establishment of a Technical Working Group to support ISS activities, and the integration of all health facilities’ supervision activities to save costs.
“If all primary health centers in Ebonyi state are adequately supervised, it would guarantee quality healthcare service delivery in the state,” he concluded.
The call for ISS funding in the 2025 budget is not just about improving healthcare services; it is about ensuring that the people of Ebonyi state have access to quality healthcare.
The integration of private sector resources, the establishment of a dedicated technical working group, and the allocation of a budget line for ISS activities are crucial steps towards achieving this goal.
The CSOs, Palladium, and Nigeria Resource Partners remain committed to working with the Ebonyi State Government to implement these recommendations and improve the healthcare system.
As the 2025 budget deliberations approach, it is imperative that the government prioritizes ISS funding to create a sustainable and effective healthcare system for all.
The urgent appeal by the CSOs for ISS funding in the 2025 Ebonyi state budget highlights a critical need for improved healthcare supervision.
By addressing the current gaps and implementing the recommended strategies, Ebonyi state can ensure that all primary health centers receive the necessary support to deliver quality healthcare services.
The time to act is now, and the inclusion of ISS in the 2025 budget is a vital step towards a healthier future for all Ebonyi residents.