The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced that Nigeria has made incremental progress in expanding healthcare services and reducing financial hardship for its citizens as the 2030 target for achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) approaches. However, significant challenges remain that could hinder the country’s ability to meet global health targets.
Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo, WHO’s Country Representative for Nigeria, shared these insights during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Maiduguri. He noted that Nigeria’s UHC Service Coverage Index (SCI) improved from 25 in 2003 to 44 in 2019, indicating progress in healthcare access.
Mulombo highlighted that catastrophic health spending decreased from 23% in 2003 to 16% in 2018. Despite these improvements, he emphasized the persistent burden of out-of-pocket expenses, which accounted for 75% of total health expenditure in 2020, up from 71.5% in 2019. “While progress has been made, the burden of out-of-pocket payments remains a significant barrier to achieving equitable healthcare access,” he stated.
He pointed out that critical service areas, including immunization, antenatal care, tuberculosis treatment, and hypertension management, continue to fall below regional and global benchmarks. For instance, routine vaccination coverage is lower than both global and regional averages, underscoring the need for urgent action.
The report also indicated concerning maternal and under-five mortality rates. While under-five mortality decreased from 182 to 111 deaths per 1,000 live births between 2000 and 2021, achieving the global Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target would require a further 66% reduction.
Environmental and behavioral risk factors, such as malnutrition, unsafe water and sanitation, air pollution, and rising obesity, continue to exacerbate Nigeria’s health challenges. Mulombo called for strong political commitment and effective utilization of public health funding to enhance service coverage and minimize out-of-pocket payments.
He also stressed the importance of 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 argued.
Mulombo expressed concern over the 2023 Global Monitoring Report on UHC, which found that billions of people globally lack access to essential health services, with rising out-of-pocket spending reported across 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 immunization, maternal health, and environmental health,” he concluded.