By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta

The Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria (APHPN), has identified factors militating against effective and efficient healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

According to the association, these factors include lack of political will by government, weak healthcare system, depleted human resources, lack of motivation of the overburdened health workforce, poor infrastructure, insecurity, and uncoordinated approach to healthcare.

The APHPN President, Prof. Alphonsus Isara, who disclosed this on Monday, at a press conference to herald the 41st Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the association, Abeokuta, Ogun State, said the implementation of Primary Health Care in Nigeria has been suboptimal since inception.

Prof. Isara noted that effective implementation of Primary Health Care is a sine qua non to optimal healthcare delivery.

Prof. Isara said the theme of the conference, “Primary Healthcare Delivery in the Face of
Multidimensional Challenges” was very critical to effective and efficient healthcare delivery in country.

He said, “at this time that Nigeria is besieged with a double burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases laced with an avalanche of psychosocial and mental health issues, all actors in the healthcare delivery system must revert to the grassroots to tackle these challenges”.

He advocated for the appointment of medical doctors with additional training in public health as Medical Officers of Health to lead the health team in all the LGAs of the country.

“This is the first step in addressing the multidimensional challenges militating against an effective health care delivery system of Nigeria”.

“The current situation where only about 40% of local government areas in Nigeria have medically qualified MOHs is not acceptable”.

“APHPN is ever ready and willing to proffer implementable solutions to
these challenges, and to collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, other relevant government agencies and relevant stakeholders, on how to improve the healthcare
delivery system of Nigeria”.

“APHPN also use this opportunity to call for the establishment of the
Department of Public Health and Community Medicine in all secondary and tertiary healthcare
facilities in Nigeria. This will go a long way to enhance our level of preparedness to tackle the
menace of the rising incidence of both communicable and non-communicable diseases”.