As the 2030 target for achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) approaches, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has stated that Nigeria has made incremental progress in expanding healthcare services and reducing financial hardship for its citizens.
However, the health organisation noted that significant gaps remain, threatening the country’s ability to meet global health targets.
WHO Nigeria’s country representative, Dr. Walter Mulombo made this statement in an interview with Science Nigeria over the weekend in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Mulombo shared that Nigeria’s UHC Service Coverage Index (SCI) increased from 25 in 2003 to 44 in 2019. Additionally, catastrophic health spending decreased from 23 per cent in 2003 to 16 per cent in 2018.
Despite these improvements, Mulombo highlighted that out-of-pocket expenses accounted for 75 per cent of the nation’s total health expenditure in 2020, a significant rise from 71.5 per cent in 2019.
“While progress has been made, the burden of out-of-pocket payments remains a major barrier to achieving equitable healthcare access,” he remarked.
He further revealed that critical service areas such as immunisation, antenatal care, tuberculosis treatment and hypertension management remain below regional and global benchmarks.
“Routine vaccination coverage, for instance, is lower than both global and regional averages, signaling the urgent need for acceleration in efforts,” he said.
High maternal and under-5 mortality rates were flagged as priority areas. Between 2000 and 2021, under-5 mortality reduced from 182 to 111 deaths per 1,000 live births. However, achieving the global SDG target will require a further 66 per cent reduction.
“Environmental and behavioral risk factors, such as malnutrition, unsafe water and sanitation, air pollution, and rising obesity levels, continue to exacerbate Nigeria’s health challenges,” Mulombo noted.
He called for strong political commitment and efficient use of public health funding to expand service coverage and reduce out-of-pocket payments. He also underscored the need for a “One Health” approach to ensure pandemic preparedness, environmental health and intersectoral collaboration.
“Achieving UHC is not only a health imperative but a development necessity. It requires bold leadership, community engagement, and equitable resource allocation,” he said.
Mulombo also referenced the 2023 Global Monitoring Report on UHC, which revealed that billions globally lack access to essential health services, with out-of-pocket spending increasing in many countries.
“For Nigeria, achieving UHC by 2030 will require accelerated action across all levels of government and society, particularly in areas such as child immunisation, maternal health and environmental health,” he concluded.
