Nigeria ranks low in investments in health infrastructures than most countries of the world, medical medical experts say.
Babatunde Okunola, senior specialist on health, World Bank disclosed this at the ongoing fourth African Society for Laboratory Medicine Conference (ASLM), in Abuja.
Okunola stated that that only four percent of Nigerians are captured in the Universal Health Coverage, saying many African countries are yet to reach an appreciable level in the provision of universal health coverage for their citizens.
He noted that poor people were at the centre of inequality in health coverage globally and estimated the population to be 420 million people which accounts for about 50 percent of the world’s population.
Speaking on the theme of the conference ‘Preventing and Controlling the Next Pandemic: The Role of the Laboratory’ which seeks to look at, and proffer ways to curtail the outbreak of pandemic diseases across Africa with emphasis on accountable universal health care framework Oyewale Tomori, a professor of virology, and former vice chancellor of Redeemer’s University, emphasized the effects of health system inequalities.
He called on the government to deliver healthcare infrastructures to meet Nigerians health needs with the primary intent to promote, restore or maintain health.
He further said the overall success of an health system is based on quality, efficiency, acceptability and equity, while health inequity such as disparities in controllable or remediable aspects of health results in higher population mortality due to lack of access to medications.
Chikwe Ihekweazu, director general of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) while speaking on what may lead to the next epidemic outbreak in Africa said that no as no one knows what virus will cause the next pandemic.
Ihekweazu said all hands must be on deck to allow for effective management by ensuring that critical laboratory capacity factors such as sample transportation system, reagent supply chain system, preventive and corrective maintenance Laboratory information system, and electricity are readily available in case of any eventualities.
He noted that a national public health institute is needed in every country as vulnerability for one is vulnerability for all. “A public health event can go from local to global very rapidly, global health security can only be assured by local health protection and partnerships matter more than ever before,”
Pandemic Disease is an epidemic that has spread over several countries or continents and usually affecting a large number of people, such as Ebola, monkey pox, etc.
Rwanda and Kenya are among few Africa countries where substantial share of the population have access to medical services, while Nigeria, Ethiopia and Mali made the poorest in the rating.
