Health
Nigeria @ 66: Primary Healthcare Expansion Tops Health Gains – Practitioners
By Oluwafunke Ishola
The Association of Nigeria Private Medical Practitioners (ANPMP) says the expansion of primary healthcare, improved maternal and child health, infection control and immunisation are major gains in the health sector since independence.
Its National President, Dr Ernest Chukwuma, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos, ahead of the nation’s 66th Independence anniversary.
Chukwuma said Nigeria had moved from a system with only a few health posts at independence to a wider network of primary healthcare centres (PHCs) serving communities across the country.
He also cited Nigeria’s eradication of smallpox and progress toward polio eradication, as well as improvements in antenatal care, routine immunisation and maternal and child health, as significant achievements.
“Chief among the milestones is the strengthening of primary healthcare services across the country.
“We have moved from having very few health posts to a network of primary healthcare centres in nearly all our local government areas,” he said.
Recent government data indicate that more than 10,800 primary healthcare centres have been revitalised, while about 72 per cent now offer integrated service-delivery packages.
The national quality score of PHCs has also reportedly improved from 42 per cent to about 70 per cent.
Chukwuma, however, said significant gaps remained in the drive toward universal health coverage, particularly in health financing and the integration of private providers into national healthcare planning.
He proposed a three-point agenda for President Bola Tinubu and the 36 state governors, beginning with improved health-sector budgetary allocations and implementation.
Chukwuma urged the three tiers of government to work toward actualising the 15 per cent health-sector allocation target under the 2001 Abuja Declaration.
He stressed that the actual release and utilisation of appropriated funds were as important as budgetary commitments.
Chukwuma also called for structured engagement between the government and private healthcare providers to develop practical solutions to the country’s healthcare challenges.
He said private hospitals should have greater access to health-financing programmes, grants and other incentives, noting that many facilities already provide care to Nigerians, including patients enrolled in national health insurance programmes.
According to him, private healthcare providers should be incorporated into relevant national, institutional, digital and health-financing frameworks, while the government should maintain effective regulation and oversight.
The call comes amid continuing gaps in financial protection, as Nigerians spend more than 70 per cent of their health expenditure out of pocket.
Chukwuma said reducing Nigerians’ dependence on direct payment for healthcare would require stronger insurance coverage and better coordination between public and private providers.
NAN reports that Nigeria’s health indicators show both progress and continuing challenges.
The 2023 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey showed that maternal mortality declined from 576 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2018 to 512, while under-five mortality fell from 132 to 110 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Full childhood immunisation coverage increased from 31 per cent to 39 per cent over the same period.
Chukwuma said the improvements demonstrated that Nigeria had made significant progress over the past 66 years.
He, however, warned that the gains would need to be sustained through better financing, stronger primary healthcare and policies that bring all relevant healthcare providers into national planning.
According to him, achieving universal health coverage will require the government to focus on regulation and oversight while creating an environment in which healthcare providers can deliver quality and affordable services.
“The private sector must be carried along,”he said. (NAN)
Edited by Olawunmi Ashafa