SHARE YOUR STORY: NICOLE NWOSU

Image from: ​https://www.discoveringmercy.org/what-we-do/share-your-story.html

I am Nigerian-Canadian—this means I was born and raised in Canada, but ethnically, I am Nigerian. Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the seventh in the world. Like every country, Nigeria juxtapositions within its nation. There are the good and bad sides. The villages and the cities. The calm and the glamourous lifestyles. The rich and the poor. However, the contrasting patterns fail with the healthcare problem Nigeria has been facing for a long time, affecting many citizens. Nigeria has one of the most flawed healthcare systems, ranking 142nd out of 195 countries according to The Lancet in 2018. 

There are three levels to Nigeria’s healthcare system. Primary (local government), secondary (state), and tertiary (federal government). However, deficient organization among these levels has led to poor trafficking and provision of healthcare services linked to the underfunding of proper resources, underpaid healthcare workers, shortage of doctors, and improper budgeting distribution. Additionally, the structure of the healthcare system consists of private hospitals running as free-market and public hospitals that are owned and funded by the government. The majority of the healthcare services run under the private sector. Moreover, a significant portion of expenditure is out of pocket, and while health insurance exists, only a small portion of the population can purchase a plan. In 2019, at least 40% of Nigeria’s population lived in poverty. Ultimately, in addition to poor healthcare services, many people in the nation cannot afford proper healthcare, especially due to the significant dependency on out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure.
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When I had gone to Nigeria when I was younger, a family member of mine had contracted malaria. The symptoms appeared when we returned to Canada. In Canada, they were treated for the disease and through Canada’s universal healthcare system, it was publicly funded. We discussed what would have happened if their sickness had had to be dealt with in Nigeria. They told me that with a disease like malaria, the Nigerian healthcare system would be able to treat it. However, it would not have been treated or diagnosed in a short time. That family member stated that this is because in Nigeria it is highly likely that an individual would not get information about their health problem until two or three days later. Additionally, there would be a question if the diagnosis is accurate. According to Global Citizen, Nigeria’s healthcare record-keeping procedures are insufficient and also depend on worldwide companies such as UNICEF and international non-profits. This makes it hard to oversee data, resulting in common misdiagnosis or patient’s data getting lost in transit.
Overall, there are healthcare system issues that Nigeria must overcome for citizens to have accessible healthcare. The nation has a long way to go. Worldwide organizations such as WHO or UNICEF have been setting plans for a better future of the healthcare system and accessible medicine.

References:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308955802_Nigeria_National_Health_Insurance_Scheme_A_Highly_Subsidized_Health_Care_Program_for_a_Privileged_Few
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1121438/poverty-headcount-rate-in-nigeria-by-state/#:~:text=An%20individual%20is%20considered%20poor,in%20Nigeria%20lived%20in%20poverty.
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/health-care-facts-nigeria-covid-19/
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10389-020-01199-x
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6811780/#:~:text=Regrettably%2C%20Nigeria%20with%20an%20estimated,on%20health%20issues%20%5B3%5D.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)30994-2/fulltext

Written by: Nicole Nwosu (Communications Committee)
​Edited by: Victoria Lun (Vice President of Communications)