How Nigeria can radically accelerate access to healthcare

The PPP initiative is a guide to what is working and a tool for inspiring further action.

 Experts say healthcare in Nigeria increase access by sustainability, public private partnership and that urgent attention to optimise delivery and avoid experiencing progressive deterioration due largely to weakened political will on the part of successive governments to effectively solve a number of problems that have accumulated in the sector over many years must be carried out.

 According to the World Health Organization’s ranking of the world’s health systems in 2016, Nigerian was ranked the 187 out of 190 countries.

However, financial protection is at the core of universal health coverage (UHC) and one of the final coverage goals.

Financial protection is achieved when direct payments made to obtain health services do not expose people to financial hardship and do not threaten their living standards, experts say.

The dynamics in Nigeria’s health insurance space has plans to capture about 200 million Nigerians under the Scheme but the public healthcare has been limited by massive challenges.

Millions of Nigerians still face uncertainty when it comes to the access, supply and affordability of healthcare delivery and products. This is not only a problem for people in resource-limited settings, but it is today a national issue.

“It is the responsibility of every country and national government to pursue Universal Health Coverage. Spearheading the advocacy required to secure the political support of global, regional, and national leaders,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general said.

The challenges are complex, going beyond the persistent challenges posed by infectious killers and the rise of lifestyle diseases.

Similarly, climate change is already affecting the supply of medicines to island nations and isolated communities.

To address some of the complex challenges that are limiting healthcare access in the country, experts say Nigeria must improve on its National Health Insurance coverage, implementation of policy and create ideal healthcare facilities with good infrastructure spaces, needed equipment, information and communication technology and adequate staff numbers among others.

They added that government needs to encourage activities through non-governmental agency to promote advocacy, nationwide screening program in order to enhance early detection, control the upward trends and reduce the mortality rate of Non- communicable diseases.

 “Nearly 95 per cent of Nigerians are accessing health care through out-of-pocket payment to meet their health needs. However, access to health care should continue to be an absolutely critical area of focus for governments, and non-government stakeholders including the private sector,” said Larne Yusuf, a medical practitioner based in Lagos.

According to Yusuf, it requires strong governance of the health system at all levels to achieve Universal Health Coverage in the country, saying Nigeria must improve the quality of its healthcare services.

“Political will is one of the bases to successful healthcare system, more effort should be made to increase the budgetary allocation to the health sector, in order to stem the tide of increase in mortality and morbidity rate” he added.

However, Lessons learned from global strategies indicate that the role of multi-sectoral partnerships, particularly the private sector at country level, is a critical precursor to accelerating progress towards improving healthcare delivery.

Francis Durosinmi- Etti, consultant, clinical oncologist and chairman of National Programme on Cancer Management in Nigeria, said that the country needs strong and clear leadership; effective deployment of new innovations.

“There is a convincing opportunity to engage the private sector and other non-State actors to go together government in advancing its healthcare delivery,”

A 2014 study by the World Bank shows that huge health inequality gaps will strain the attainment of the Universal Health coverage.

 Chibuzo Opara, Co-CEO DrugStoc Nigeria, said approaching the issues of universal healthcare is about elaborating equitable and affordable healthcare at the end of the day.

“There should be an agreement and a commitment between citizens and decision makers on where the country places universal healthcare among other important priorities.”

“In order to create a catalytic process within the system, we need to focus on tackling the issue of financial access to healthcare, holding individuals and entities accountable and measuring the impact of interventions and activities in the healthcare sector,” Opara said.