Progress on Country Accountability Framework for Women’s and Children’s Health in Nigeria

In September 2010, in an effort to accelerate progress in maternal and child health, the Secretary-General of the United Nations launched the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health. The Commission on Information and Accountability for Women’s and Children’s Health (CoIA) was established to ensure that every woman and child receive the highest attainable standard of health and to ensure equity in health. The final work of the Commission was the report, Keeping Promises, Measuring Results, which included 10 recommendations.To support African countries with skills and information in tracking progress in achieving the 11 CoIA indicators, WHO convened a multicountry workshop to strengthen results and accountability for women and children’s health and the health sector, in Harare, Zimbabwe October, 2012. Following the Harare workshop, a Nigerian national workshop, was convened in April 2013, resulting in the development of a Nigerian Country Accountability Framework (CAF) for Women’s and Children’s Health.The national workshop focused on the review and finalisation of Nigeria’s CAF and priority actions in line with seven thematic areas stemming from the CoIA recommendations:1. Advocacy and Outreach2. Review Processes3. Monitoring of Resources4. E-Health and Innovation5. Maternal Death Surveillance and Response6. Monitoring of Results7. Civil Registration and Vital StatisticsIn order to facilitate transparency and accountability for implementing, tracking progress and planning on the national MNCH roadmap, civil society organizations (CSOs) present at the workshop proposed the establishment of an independent expert review group through an existing umbrella coalition, Accountability for MNCH in Nigeria (AMHiN), which brings together CSOs, healthcare professional bodies and the media. AMHiN in collaboration with key development partners and stakeholders will support the implementation and accountability towards meeting the 2014 CAF recommendations.The independent expert review group, known as the Nigeria Independent Accountability Mechanism (NIAM), operates within the platform of AMHiM. NIAM is a hybrid accountability mechanism, led by citizens with national approval to act as the independent group, tracking implementation of the MNCH roadmap. Membership of NIAM includes media, civil society, and health professional associations across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. Diverse membership aims to ensure wide range of knowledge and expertise across the thematic areas. NIAM specifically aims to review progress against health plans and budgets (particularly the roadmap on MNCH), assess equity ofinvestments and improvements in health, review and analyse barriers in access to health services, ensure political will and commitment from national and state level governments and to promote success stories relating to MNCH.This report and scorecard developed by NIAM outlines the scope of work, methodology and critical review of the progress made in implementing the Country Accountability Framework. Indicators for each of the seven thematic areas (above) are scored for 2013 and for 2014 alongside recommended actions for improvement. The report also delineates the agreed prioritised areas in which AMHiN will be focusing its advocacy going forward.To read the report and scorecard, click here.Accountability for Matenal, Newborn and Child Health in Nigeria (AMHiN). (2014). Progress on Country Accountability Framework for Women’s and Children’s Health in Nigeria. Abuja: AMHiN.