A town hall meeting led by the health sector reform coalition, is ongoing to find ways of moving the nation’s health sector forward through political commitment ahead of the 2023 general election.
Stakeholders at the meeting admit that political will remains key to achieving universal health coverage by the year 2030.
Despite some modest improvements Nigeria’s health outcomes still remain poor.
Maternal mortality is at 814 per 100,000 births and mortality rate for infants and children under the age of five is at 70 and 104 per 1000 live births
These indices are part of concerns in this room of citizens who believe that a lot more needs to be done to ensure that Nigeria hits the mark in achieving universal health coverage
This would be through providing quality and affordable health care to Nigerians
More than one hundred civil society organizations, non government actors alongside the informal sector have all gathered to raise their voices on this issue.
Less than ten percent of Nigerians are on health insurance
These stakeholders want better ways of encouraging Health insurance and improving the primary health care system through the basic health care provision fund which both remain essential towards achieving UHC.
The theme of the town hall meeting is health for all Nigerians, leaving no one behind.
Universal Health Coverage according to experts may be a mirage in Nigeria considering the various challenges facing the Sector ranging from Brain Drain, Poor Welfare, Lack of adequate Infrastructure and Equipment.
They also cite as a challenge the lack of a Universal Health Insurance as one that needs to be overcome before Nigerians can be said to have the opportunity of a Universal Health Coverage.
The Health Sector in Nigeria has been plagued by the debilitating effects of rain Drain which has seen thousands of Doctors, Nurses and Other Health Workers trained in the Country at Great expense migrating en-mass to other parts of the World especially Europe, United States and Canada.
