A new report has shown that about 65.7 percent of primary health centres (PHCs) and 49.4 percent of secondary facilities have insufficient drug supplies.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) disclosed this in the 2023 National Health Facility Survey (NHFS) report, which highlighted systemic gaps in healthcare delivery nationwide.
The survey report shows that only 34.3 percent of PHCs and 50.6 percent of secondary health facilities had essential medicines in stock and not expired at the time of the survey.
The survey, conducted by the NBS in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, visited 3,330 health facilities nationwide.
It also showed that only 29.9 percent of PHCs and 68 percent of secondary health facilities are equipped with functioning basic medical equipment, such as thermometers, blood pressure monitors, and stethoscopes.
The north-west zone reported the lowest availability of such equipment (20.9%), while the south-west recorded the highest (48.8%).
Also, less than 20 percent of health facilities provide essential family planning commodities such as pills, injectables, and implants. While 79.7 percent of public health facilities offer antenatal care (ANC) services, only 74 percent provide HIV testing as part of routine care, and just 25 percent offer antiretroviral drugs.
According to the report, high mortality rates persist, with infant mortality at 63 per 1,000 live births and maternal mortality at 512 per 100,000 live births.
The NHFS also assessed the knowledge and competence of healthcare providers, noting that only 39.4 percent of PHC workers had received training in the Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI). While 80.3 percent demonstrated adequate knowledge of malaria management, proficiency in treating pneumonia and diarrhoea stood at 41 percent and 51.7 percent, respectively.
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