The “2024 State of Health of the Nation Report” highlights progress in Nigeria’s healthcare sector, particularly in health insurance coverage, maternal and child health, and workforce development. Despite these advancements, challenges such as low delivery rates in health facilities, high neonatal mortality, and inadequate access to family planning remain prevalent. The report emphasizes the need for urgent policy actions to enhance health outcomes nationwide.
A recent report entitled “The 2024 State of Health of the Nation Report” has shed light on the advancements and ongoing challenges within Nigeria’s healthcare system. It reveals a significant rise in health insurance coverage, maternal and child health outcomes, and workforce development. However, it also points out persistent issues such as low facility-based deliveries and high neonatal mortality rates, calling for sustained efforts to improve these areas.
The report indicates an increase in health insurance coverage from 16.8 million Nigerians in 2023 to approximately 19.1 million by December 2024, signifying the government’s commitment to Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Despite this progress, the financial protection provided remains inadequate for many Nigerians, leaving them vulnerable due to high out-of-pocket healthcare costs.
Moreover, the adoption of modern contraceptives among married women aged 15-49 has risen from 12% in 2018 to 15% in 2023. Nonetheless, a 21% unmet need for family planning highlights the accessibility challenges still faced by women. The report notes that only a fraction of healthcare facilities stock essential contraceptive methods, which limits the availability of family planning resources.
The report also reveals that only 43% of women give birth in health facilities, indicating a continued occurrence of home and informal deliveries, thus elevating the risk of complications. While the under-five mortality rate has decreased from 132 to 110 deaths per 1,000 live births, neonatal deaths account for a substantial percentage of under-five fatalities, with alarming vaccination gaps observed among children aged 12-23 months.
Malnutrition remains a critical issue, with 49% of facilities offering nutrition-related services, yet there exists a detrimental caregiver knowledge gap regarding proper feeding practices. The prevalence of hypertension, impacting 31% of the population, underscores the need for enhanced care for non-communicable diseases, which currently lack adequate treatment services in health facilities.
The report further highlights a dire doctor-to-population ratio of only 2.9 per 10,000 individuals, significantly lower than the WHO’s recommendation. A majority of healthcare professionals are situated in urban areas, leaving rural communities underserved and in urgent need of healthcare services.
In its recommendations, the report advocates for increased resource allocation at all government levels, expanded health insurance coverage, and better access to health services. It emphasizes the necessity of improving family planning and maternal health services, along with strengthening vaccination efforts and nutrition intervention programs to combat malnutrition.
Additionally, the report calls for the scaling up of hypertension and diabetes care in primary healthcare settings, suggesting incentives for health professionals to serve in rural areas and an emphasis on training regarding maternal and child health emergency care.
It also stresses the importance of strengthening local medicine and vaccine manufacturing capabilities alongside enhancing disease surveillance and emergency preparedness to bolster Nigeria’s public health infrastructure.
The “2024 State of Health of the Nation Report” outlines both significant advancements and critical challenges in Nigeria’s healthcare system. While improvements in health insurance coverage and child health outcomes are notable, urgent attention is required to address issues such as low facility-based childbirth and insufficient access to family planning resources. The recommendations provided in the report aim to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure and improve health outcomes across the nation, focusing on policy reforms and better resource allocation.
Original Source: www.premiumtimesng.com
