Live Up to Expectation of Nigerians, AMSN Tells Pate
The Academy of Medicine Specialties of Nigeria (AMSN) has charged the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammad Ali Pate, to live up to the expectations of Nigerians by strengthening Nigeria’s ailing healthcare system and put it on track to meet the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
The Federal Ministry of Health was also tasked with prioritising and implementing the recommendations of the Presidential Committee on Health Sector Reform, as well as considering the recommendations of the Report of the Lancet Nigeria Commission on high-impact areas of intervention, among others.
In a position statement, the Academy also called for a complete appraisal of the health system to ensure the effective implementation of sustainable policies that would enhance the standard of the country’s health sector and the health of all Nigerians.
In the statement, the AMSN President, Prof. Oladapo Ashiru, lamented that with one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world, at 54.74 per 1000 live births, in addition to a high prevalence of communicable and non-communicable disorders, Nigeria’s underdeveloped health system is not prepared to meet any of the aims of the SDGs, particularly universal health coverage (UHC).
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Urging the Minister and his team to embrace multi-sector mainstreaming of health for increased resource mobilization and for addressing the social determinants of health, he called for a review and implementation of other key instruments of health such as the 2014 National Health Act, the 2016 National Health Policy, the National Strategic Health Development Plan (NSHDP 2), Primary Healthcare Under One Roof (PHCUOR), the National Health Insurance Authority Act, and the National Drug Policy, among others.
Ashiru said: “Nigeria has a weak health system, which is not primed to achieve any of the health-related Sustainable Health Development Goals (SDGs) targets, especially Universal Health Coverage (UHC). The infant mortality rate in Nigeria is among the highest in the world, currently at 54.74 per 1000 live births, as opposed to 9.85 in the Seychelles and 10.49 in Iran. It also has a high burden of both communicable and non-communicable diseases.
“Nigeria also has high levels of child and maternal mortality rates. The average life expectancy is less than 55 years. The Nigerian health system is suboptimally resilient to everyday issues and shocks such as disease outbreaks or pandemics. There are low investments in health, corruption, and accountability issues, a dearth of pro-poor health financing, and a lack of political will to prioritize and decisively optimize the health sector. Medical tourism and the exodus of medical professionals are two additional issues that plague the industry
Ashiru said existing policies, strategies, and programs can strengthen the Nigerian health system if implemented well, even as existing structures and health financing strategies, like the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) can also be utilised.
He noted that the World Health Organisation’s whole-government approach to health demonstrates the need for healthcare to be viewed as a political priority and an essential component of any political agenda. He added that the election of a new government and the selection of new ministers to oversee the health system represent a significant opportunity for the nation.
