The Jigawa State government has begun moves to establish a dedicated budget line for the Supporting Access to Routine Immunisation and Child Health Services and Systems Strengthening (SARMAAN) programme, in a bid to sustain child survival interventions beyond donor funding.
The move followed a strategic advocacy engagement with the state’s First Lady, Hadiza Umar Namadi, who agreed to serve as a SARMAAN Champion and pledged to use the influence of her office to support the initiative.
The Jigawa State Ministry of Health also endorsed the proposal and committed to convene a technical working session to develop the framework for creating the budget line.
The advocacy visit was led by Femi Ogunwede, who heads the SARMAAN Sub-national Advocacy Project Team, alongside Hafsat Musa, State Team Lead of Malaria Consortium in Jigawa State.
Speaking during the engagement, Ogunwede said securing a dedicated budget line would strengthen government ownership of child survival interventions and help sustain life-saving services after donor support ends.
“Every policy decision has a human face. For families in underserved communities, sustained government investment can mean the difference between access to life-saving healthcare and preventable child deaths.
Establishing a dedicated budget line is critical to ensuring these interventions continue long after external funding ends,” he said.
The fist lady said she would champion the campaign for the budget line, describing government ownership as essential to improving child health outcomes and sustaining gains made under the programme.
The Ministry of Health’s decision to begin work on a framework for the proposed budget line marks the next step in integrating SARMAAN into the state’s financing system.
Hafsat Musa, Malaria Consortium’s Jigawa State Team Lead, said the development reflected the state's growing commitment to institutionalising child survival interventions.
“Government ownership is essential for sustaining the progress made under SARMAAN. We are encouraged by the commitment shown by the First Lady and the Ministry of Health to move this process forward,” she said.
SARMAAN supports state governments to strengthen routine immunisation, improve child health services and reinforce primary healthcare systems, to reduce preventable deaths among children.
Health experts say dedicated budget lines help ensure consistent funding for priority health programmes, strengthen accountability and reduce dependence on donor support.
If approved, the proposed budget line would provide a sustainable financing mechanism for child survival interventions in Jigawa, allowing the state to continue implementing key activities beyond the lifespan of external funding.
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