Nigeria's poor healthcare system is responsible for 3,000 deaths of women and children daily - Faisal Shuaib
- Faisal Shuaib disclosed that on a per state basis, approximately 2,400 women and children die every month from preventable diseases
- The NPHCDA boss noted that a reduction in the number of deaths of women and children per state on a monthly basis would show that healthcare delivery was improving in the country
- Life expectancy in the country was revealed to be 53 and 56 years for men and women respectively in 2015
The executive director of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib, has disclosed that as a result of poor access to basic healthcare, Nigeria loses 3,000 children and women daily to preventable diseases, Premium Times reports.
According to Mr. Shuaib the country’s poor health system is also responsible for the death of some children in Nigeria before they reach the age of 5.
The healthcare boss made his comments while speaking at a workshop on the Implementation of the Primary Health Care Under One Roof policy, in Abuja on Thursday, June 15.
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He stated: “Primary Healthcare remains the foundation for reasonable and sustainable changes to the poor health indicators in the sector, since it deals with these preventable diseases.
“Nigeria’s poor health outcome in critical areas is best reflected by the fact that approximately 3,000 women and under five children die daily in the country.
“This implies that in each state represented here, approximately 2,400 women and children die every month, 80 per day, from causes which are preventable.
“We are expected to deliver on results and we will be held accountable for our performance, and the most important evidence of our performance will be seen in the reduction in deaths of pregnant women and children in our respective states and nationally, during our tenures.”
Asishana Okauru, director general of the Nigeria Governor’s Forum who also spoke at the event lamented over the country’s poor quality of healthcare.
According to Okauru, Nigeria contributes up to 10 percent to maternal mortality in the world even though it constitutes only 2percent of the world’s population.
He disclosed that in 2015, life expectancy in the country was 53 and 56 years for men and women respectively.
Speaking on what was hoped to be achieved from the meeting, he said: “We are here today on a different but related together with a number of strategic partners this time, focused on ensuring the political commitment of our Governors to the implementation of the Primary Health Care Under One Roof policy.
“Part of our objective is to ensure that boards are properly constituted and adequately funded.”
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that investigations carried out by a non-governmental organization, the Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) revealed the poor and dismal state of Nigeria’s healthcare system most especially its Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs).
Watch this Legit.ng TV video of Nigerians speaking against N1,500 budget budget for health per person
Source: Legit.ng
