By Sola Charles
Key stakeholders in Lagos State’s health sector under the State Ministry of Health held a 2-day strategic review session organized under the Lagos State Accountability Mechanism for Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (LASAM), spotlighting actionable insights for better service delivery and health budgeting across the state.
The forum entitled: “LASAM Health Budget Performance Review, RMNCAH+N Scorecard & Essential Life Savings Commodities Validation Meeting” held at Dover Hotel, Ikeja on July 17-18, 2025 with support from Save the Children International.
The activity marks another milestone in strengthening accountability mechanisms and aligning policy efforts toward achieving improved health outcomes across Lagos State. It set a renewed tone for RMNCAH+N accountability in Lagos State, paving the way for integration, innovation, and measurable progress.
The high-level meeting brought together senior officials from the Ministry of Health, Lagos State Primary Health Care Board (PHCB), Directorate of Family Health and Nutrition (DFHN), LISDEL, other CSOs, Gates Foundation, the Ministry of Economy, Planning & Budget (MEPB), the Evidence, Advocacy and KMCS sub-committes, among other stakeholders.
The review sessions were steered by Chairman of the Evidence sub-committee, Mr. Basit Baruwa, who is a Director at the MEPB, Bureau of Statistics, Ministry of Economic Planning.
Among others, participants at the meeting resolved on the need for improved synergy across MDAs, even as they identified fragmentation and gaps in service coordination. It was agreed that the Ministry of Health must remain the central node for coordination, ensuring consistency and strategic oversight across all health initiatives.
The session also revealed a critical funding gap for the health promotion unit within the Ministry of Health. Stakeholders noted the absence of dedicated financial support for this vital department, and the Ministry of Budget plans to explore options to fund and rejuvenate the unit, enabling it to drive consistent public health education campaigns.
There was a general caution against pushing for higher allocations without demonstrating utilization of released funds, with stakeholders agreeing that budget performance must be actively tracked to ensure impact and to strengthen future advocacy for increased health funding.
The meeting emphasized the role of media in bridging information gaps especially regarding immunization services, and plans were suggested to publicize access to free vaccinations and nearby facilities through digital and broadcast platforms.
There was a strong call for deeper youth engagement, particularly with adolescent girls, in promoting maternal and child health values throughout communities.
Another key takeaway was the imperative to expand the inclusion of CDCs and CDAs. Participants agreed that peer-driven health promotion can yield more impact than top-down approaches.
The meeting made unified call for strengthened coordination across health MDAs, expanded grassroots inclusion via CDCs/CDAs and revitalized health promotion units with adequate funding through transparent budget tracking to justify further allocations and strategic use of media for service awareness and youth-led advocacy and education campaigns.
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