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The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate has said many Nigerians rely on public facilities and sometimes do not seek medical care at all due to affordability issues.
Pate said this on Friday at the fifth legislative summit on health in Abuja themed, “Improving Legislative Stewardship and Accountability for Universal Health Coverage.”
Pate said the Health Sector Renewal Investment which was unveiled in December 2023 will help to address some challenges in the health sector.
The minister noted that a comprehensive survey carried out among 2,500 Nigerians to understand their expectations, experiences, and concerns regarding healthcare revealed that, “Many Nigerians rely on public facilities, private facilities, or sometimes do not seek medical care at all due to affordability issues. The quality of care in many facilities was also found lacking
pending at $85, most of which is out-of-pocket. This is insufficient, especially when compared to countries like Ethiopia and Bangladesh, which achieve better health outcomes with similar or lesser spending.
“There is significant fragmentation across federal, state, and local levels, with each operating independently rather than as a cohesive national health system.
“Many primary healthcare centres and hospitals are underfunded and lack essential resources and trained personnel,” he said.
The minister, however, noted that the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative was developed and unveiled in response to the challenges.
He stated that the initiative is built on governance, improving population health outcomes, retaining healthcare workers, unlocking the healthcare value chain, and health security.
“The Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative is not just a Federal
Government endeavour but a collective effort involving state and local
