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Poor health policy plunged half of African citizens into inadequate

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Kazeem Biriowo

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately half of Africa’s population lacks adequate access to healthcare due to poorly designed policies that limit financial barriers and a shortage of qualified healthcare workers, as well as inadequate access to quality medicines, medical products, and innovative technologies.

In a statement released by the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, on the 75th anniversary of the founding of the organization, Moeti noted that the COVID-19 pandemic, health emergencies, and worsening climate conditions have negatively impacted efforts to accelerate progress towards universal health coverage (UHC).

Moeti highlighted that the pandemic had caused widespread disruptions to essential services, and health emergencies, many of which are driven by climate change, often disrupting access to safe water and sanitation services, increasing the risk of waterborne and vector-borne diseases.

To build back better and accelerate progress towards UHC and health security, Moeti stressed the need to strengthen health systems based on strong primary health care (PHC).

Moeti emphasized that financial investment in PHC should be guided by evidence and focused on the building blocks of health systems, particularly a health workforce, health infrastructure, medicines, and health technologies.

She further stated that ensuring additional investment to improve financial risk protection, addressing inequities, and building the resilience of national health systems in the post-COVID era are critical to accelerating progress towards UHC in the African region.

Ms Ulla Mueller, the Resident Representative of the United Population Fund (UNFPA), noted that the combined themes of the 2023 World Health Day, “Health for All: Strengthening PHC to Build Resilient Systems,” and the World Health Workers Week of “Investing in Human Resource for Health,” deeply concern the UNFPA. Mueller stated that inadequate human resources for health (HRH) and fragile health systems severely undermine the UNFPA’s goals of zero preventable maternal deaths, zero unmet need for family planning, and zero gender-based violence (GBV) by 2030.

Mueller explained that the COVID-19 pandemic had shown an obvious void in health systems in Nigeria and worldwide, worsened by the pandemic. She emphasized that investing in HRH and overall human capital development in health is equivalent to investing in sexual and reproductive health as an essential investment in sustainable development and delivering a world where every woman, girl, and young person can live up to their full potential.

She further stated that investments in HRH and overall human capital development in health complement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with the global and national commitment to achieving universal health coverage and universal access to sexual and reproductive health.

Mueller called on everyone to reimagine a Nigeria with a strengthened health system with well-resourced HRH and the capacity to realize UHC through expanded access to sexual and reproductive health, as the path to a more equal, prosperous, and sustainable future.

She added that the UNFPA reaffirms its strong commitment to assisting Nigeria in building a resilient and stronger health system that upholds the rights of all people to reach the highest possible standard of health through support to HRH development.

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