Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Prof Mohammed Pate on Thursday highlighted the need for the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (HSRII) to tackle the country’s pressing healthcare issues.
Prof Pate while speaking at the fifth legislative summit on health in Abuja said a new survey has revealed several challenges in the country’s healthcare delivery system that requires urgent measures.
The summit is themed “Improving Legislative Stewardship and Accountability for Universal Health Coverage (UHC).”
The minister stated that the survey findings reveal many Nigerians rely on public facilities, private facilities, or sometimes do not seek medical care at all due to affordability issues.
He said the quality of care in many health facilities was also found lacking.
Prof Pate said the survey identified maternal, newborn, and child health issues, infectious diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, and the rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases as major concerns.
“We conducted a comprehensive survey, the largest of its kind, with 2,500 Nigerians to understand their expectations, experiences, and concerns regarding healthcare,” he said.
“The insights from this survey revealed that many Nigerians rely on public facilities, private facilities, or sometimes do not seek medical care at all due to affordability issues.
“Additionally, while traditional health issues like maternal, newborn, and child health, and infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV persist, NCDs like hypertension, diabetes, and cancers are becoming more prevalent as our population ages.”
He said despite significant spending, health outcomes are not meeting expectations compared to countries with similar or lower investment levels.
Challenges
The minister noted that challenges hindering improvement of the sector include high costs, limited government revenue, and fragmentation among federal, state, and local governments.
He said it is important to mobilize resources, prioritize health at all levels, and enhance the impact and transparency of regulatory bodies such as NAFDAC and the Medical and Dental Council.
He said to improve health outcomes, there are plans to expand primary healthcare centres from 1,800 to 17,000 by 2027 and retrain 120,000 frontline health workers.
In his remark, WHO’s representative in Nigeria, Dr Walter Mulombo, applauds Nigeria’s commitment to UHC and the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative.
Dr Mulombo said this summit comes at a critical time in the country’s history, as the health sector undergoes bold reforms aimed at achieving greater impact on the population, including poverty reduction and economic prosperity.
He noted that UHC is a political commitment requiring countries to ensure that everyone has access to essential promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative health services of good quality at an affordable cost without facing financial hardship linked to paying for care.
He advocates for increased government health expenditure, reduced out-of-pocket costs, and greater private-sector engagement for sustainable health improvements.
Investing in health
Speaking at the event, the Director of Projects at the development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC), Dr Stanley Ukpai, advocated for increased investment in the country’s health sector.
Dr Ukpai emphasized the necessity of investment in health across all levels of government to address challenges facing the sector.
He highlighted that collaboration between CSOs and legislative engagement could also enhance healthcare delivery in the country.
He also reaffirmed dRPC’s commitment to making its own contributions towards the nation’s goal of achieving UHC.
In her welcome address, Sen Ipalibo Banigo, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, acknowledged the poor indices of Nigeria’s health development.
She calls for urgent measures to address gaps in the healthcare delivery system.
“We believe that with collaboration, dialogue, and knowledge-sharing, we can improve healthcare and make life better for all Nigerians. No part of Nigeria should be left out,” She said.
She also calls for adequate funding and sustainable partnerships to enhance transparency for UHC.
“All partners and stakeholders in the health sector should be guided by the principles of accountability and transparency, to achieve sustainable health programme in the country.”