By Fatima Dauda Salihu
Health is a fundamental priority that any government should address. When citizens are healthy, the entire state benefits. However, it is disheartening when the government neglects its health sector.
The Federal Government of Nigeria has increased its expenditure on public health over the years to enhance public health outcomes, but much still needs to be done. Public health requires ongoing efforts, and continuous improvement remains a crucial goal. The numerous and serious healthcare challenges in the country arise from poor health infrastructure, inadequate education, hygiene and sanitation issues, and extreme poverty and hunger.
The Health department plays a critical role in educating people about unforeseen infectious diseases and interventions for alleviation.
Public health infrastructure provides communities, states and the nation as a whole with the ability to prevent diseases, promote health and respond to both ongoing and emerging challenges to health.
Since its independence, Nigeria’s health sector has been named one of the worst in Africa. Issues include lack of coordination, fragmentation of services, scarcity of medical resources, including drugs and supplies, inadequate and decaying infrastructure, inequity in resource distribution, and access to care.
According to the National Institute of Health, the Nigerian healthcare system is poorly developed and has suffered several setbacks, especially at the local government level. No adequate and functional surveillance systems have been created;hence, there is no tracking system to monitor the outbreak of infectious diseases, bioterrorism, chemical poisoning, etc.
Nigeria’s hospitals and emergency services do not meet world standards. The availability of healthcare institutions and professionals is limited, while long distances travelling for healthcare are not affordable. The healthcare costs and expenditures related to the prevention and treatment of diseases are rising.
Many primary healthcare centres across Nigeria are dilapidated, have low staff, have poor electricity, and have unclean water, and they cannot efficiently serve people in rural areas. Many pregnant women still seek the services of traditional birth attendants for delivery, and even many children in rural areas miss out on routine immunisations, which are meant to be one of the responsibilities of effective primary healthcare centres.
Due to the poor state of the health sector, there has been a constant mass migration of doctors and health professionals out of the country. This relates to ongoing strikes and poor working conditions in healthcare delivery centres. The challenges faced by Nigeria’s healthcare system include inadequate hygiene and sanitation, insufficient financial investments, and alimited workforce and facilities.
Establishing healthcare institutions and insurance schemes, increasing the workforce, and improving hygiene and treatment conditions can help address these challenges. Implementing policies for maternal health and healthcare reforms can lead to better health outcomes.
Fatima Dauda Salihu wrote from Bayero University, Kano.