Public well being consultants have raised considerations over Nigeria’s major healthcare system, revealing that solely about 40 per cent of native authorities areas (LGAs) have medically certified Medical Officers of Well being (MOHs).
This implies greater than 460 out of the 774 LGAs in Nigeria lack medically educated officers to oversee well being companies, a scenario that consultants describe “unacceptable” for a rustic with a inhabitants of over 200 million folks.
The scarcity of MOHs was spotlighted on the simply concluded forty first Annual Common Assembly and Scientific Convention (AGM&SC) of the Affiliation of Public Well being Physicians of Nigeria (APHPN) held in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The convention, themed “Major Healthcare Supply within the Face of Multidimensional Challenges,” introduced collectively healthcare professionals from throughout Nigeria from 9 to 14 March.
Nationwide well being disaster
On the convention, APHPN mentioned the implications of the scarcity of MOHs, who’re liable for overseeing important public well being actions on the native authorities degree, together with illness surveillance, immunisation campaigns, and well being emergency responses.
“The function of Medical Officers of Well being is vital to the supply of healthcare in Nigeria. It’s unacceptable that solely about 40 per cent of LGAs in Nigeria have medically certified MOHs,” APHPN famous in its communique.The communique, which was signed by the Nationwide President of APHPN, Terfa Kene, and the Nationwide Secretary, Augustine Ajogwu, referred to as for pressing reforms to fill this hole and strengthen the nation’s public well being infrastructure.
The affiliation advocates for the appointment of medical docs with extra coaching in public well being to function MOHs in each LGA, “in step with public well being legal guidelines and world finest practices.”
Article Web page with Monetary Help Promotion
Challenges going through PHCs
Aside from the scarcity of medical officers, the communique additionally highlighted a number of challenges hindering the effectiveness of Nigeria’s major healthcare system.It identified that the implementation of major well being care in Nigeria has been “suboptimal since its inception.”
“Efficient implementation of Major Well being Care is a sine qua non to optimum healthcare supply,” it famous.It noticed that Nigeria continues to be grappling with a double burden of communicable and non-communicable illnesses, that are compounded by psychosocial and psychological well being points.
This mixture, in response to APHPN, is contributing to poor well being indices throughout the nation and a deteriorating human growth index.
Different challenges embody insufficient political will, a weak healthcare system, restricted human sources, and an absence of motivation amongst well being staff.
The report additionally flagged the problems of poor infrastructure, well being insecurity, and an uncoordinated method to healthcare as main obstacles to environment friendly service supply.
The communique additional emphasised the significance of a collaborative, multisectoral, and transdisciplinary One Well being method to enhance healthcare supply and public well being observe.
Funding in Adolescent well being
The consultants additionally raised considerations concerning the state of adolescent well being in Nigeria.
They emphasised the significance of investing in adolescent healthcare for demographic, human rights, financial, and well being causes.
The communique identified that the inadequate provision of adolescent-friendly companies and a scarcity of well being staff educated in delivering these companies had been vital limitations to addressing the healthcare wants of younger folks.
APHPN referred to as for capability constructing for well being staff in each state concerning provision of adolescent pleasant companies.
“This features a want for sub-speciality coaching in adolescent well being within the curricula of postgraduate medical faculties,” it famous.
Extra suggestions
The communique additionally beneficial the institution of Public Well being and Group Medication departments in all secondary and tertiary healthcare amenities in Nigeria to raised put together the nation to deal with the rising incidence of communicable and non-communicable illnesses.
Well being staff had been urged to undertake a CEO mindset, growing abilities in enterprise, mission administration, and monetary literacy to enhance well being service supply.
The communique additionally beneficial school-based prevention programmes to handle substance abuse, insurance policies prioritising rehabilitation over punishment, and the strengthening of occupational well being practices by means of improved laws and consciousness.
To deal with the problem of electrical energy provide in healthcare amenities, the consultants prompt revolutionary, cost-effective, and environmentally pleasant options, akin to photo voltaic power powered by lithium batteries.
The consultants additionally advocated for leveraging digital improvements and synthetic intelligence for enhanced illness surveillance and neighborhood engagement.
In regards to the Common Assembly
The forty first Annual Scientific Convention and Common Conferences of APHPN introduced collectively 650 individuals, together with 350 in-person and 300 digital attendees, from numerous sectors akin to academia, instructing hospitals, well being amenities, authorities MDAs, NGOs, and the non-public sector.
READ ALSO: FCT enrols 198,810 residents in medical health insurance scheme in a single yr
The convention featured eight plenary classes, eight parallel scientific classes, 79 oral summary shows, and 21 poster shows.
The opening ceremony, held on 11 March, was chaired by Akin Osibogun, the previous President of the Nationwide Postgraduate Medical Faculty of Nigeria. The Ogun State Honourable Commissioner for Well being, Tomi Coker, represented Governor Dapo Abiodun and declared the convention open.
Different dignitaries included the Minister of State for Well being, Iziaq Salako, and the Particular Adviser to the President, Salma Ibrahim Anas, represented by Tanko Yakasi, and members of the Board of Trustees of the affiliation.
Help PREMIUM TIMES’ journalism of integrity and credibility
At Premium Occasions, we firmly imagine within the significance of high-quality journalism. Recognizing that not everybody can afford pricey information subscriptions, we’re devoted to delivering meticulously researched, fact-checked information that is still freely accessible to all.
Whether or not you flip to Premium Occasions for day by day updates, in-depth investigations into urgent nationwide points, or entertaining trending tales, we worth your readership.
It’s important to acknowledge that information manufacturing incurs bills, and we take pleasure in by no means inserting our tales behind a prohibitive paywall.
Would you contemplate supporting us with a modest contribution on a month-to-month foundation to assist keep our dedication to free, accessible information?
Make Contribution
TEXT AD: Name Willie – +2348098788999
