Service: Baseline Survey

WOCHAD in-order to achieve improved performance evaluation in PHC financing in focal PHCs and LGAs conducted baseline survey to obtain baseline data on PHC financing situations in the 7 focal LGAS for used to evaluate project outcome and results. To this end, the Organization conducted baseline survey on PHC financing in the seven foal LGAs and their PHCs to determine baseline on indicators that will be tracked to monitor whether Project objectives are being achieved. The indicators on which data were collected on were indicators planned to be tracked in the Project. These indicators included: Administration & infrastructure, Facility Support & Funding, Budget provision and releases, IGR, HRH, Availability of Finance Record, Availability of Vaccine, Availability of Essential Medicine and Availability of Essential Equipment.

The baseline survey was conducted in Ninety-Five (95) PHCCs in the 7 selected LGAs to obtain baseline information on PHC Financing which were used to form decisions and advocate for budgetary provision and releases in the focal PHCs and LGAs. The baseline survey was conducted between February 14th–March 14th, 2022, in the 7 focal LGAs, total number of 24 male and 184 female in the selected PHCs were in interviewed. Structured questionnaires were used to collect LGAs and PHCCs’ situations on the indicators. Collected data were analyzed and the indicators graded. Key findings in surveyed PHCs included: poor/weak infrastructure, inadequate facility Support & Funding, annual operational plan and budget were not available for the last three years before the survey in all surveyed PHCs hence no fund releases by LGAs and State to the PHCs. Nonetheless PHCs being supported by some Partners like USAID/IHP, Mariestopes Nigeria, etc were receiving some levels of support which included capacity building, provision of equipment and technical support from the respective partners. Internationally generated revenue (IGR) and remittance to LGAs were poorly documented, gross inadequate human resource for health (HRH), only facilities being supported by Basic health Care Provision fund (BHCPF) had some Financial Records and documented some income and expenditure on the fund. Only chairman and treasurers of the facilities receiving BHCPF comes to PHCs on invitation by the Officers in Change of the facility. Essential Medicine and Essential Equipment were inadequate in most PHCs. Vaccines were adequately available and PHCs were conducting weekly scheduled immunization for children and women and participating in campaigns.

LGAs and PHCC’ scores on the indicators were used to develop score cards for the 7 focal LGAs and 14 PHCCs. Developed score cards were presented during stakeholders interface, WHC bi-monthly and Bi-annual stakeholders meetings. These made it possible for state, LGAs and Community stakeholders to see the gaps in PHCs financing in PHCs in their LGAs. To this end, LGAs and community stakeholders developed action plans to respond to PHC financing gaps in PHCs in their LGAs and communities. These also stimulated LGA and communities’ involvement and participation in Project and ownership of PHCs. .