Basket Funds: A pooled arrangement to finance primary health care delivery and address the funding flow in Nigeria

KEY MESSAGES: • Basket funds are a mechanism for pooling funds from various sources, typically governments, donors and the private sector to support priorities

and ensure adequate resource allocation for agreed upon program areas. • In Nigeria, select states established basket funds to address barriers to primary health care financing, resulting from inconsistent prioritization of health, weak budget implementation, and lack of transparency and accountability in the use and allocation of public resources. • Early experiences from two states in Nigeria, Zamfara and Kano, indicate that basket funds help ensure the availability of funds to implement primary health care plans, and also enhance accountability while creating transparency in how, when, and where funds are disbursed. • With time and evidence of success, basket funds have the potential to address primary health care financing in Nigeria and other countries facing similar challenges.