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The Imperative For Massive Investments In Health Care Amidst COVID-19

Next Edition by Next Edition
June 10, 2020
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The Imperative For Massive Investments In Health Care Amidst COVID-19

ADEZE OJUKWU

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The emergence of coronavirus and its horrendous impact on people and economies, has resonated the imperative for massive investments in health systems.

World Health Organization (WHO) and stakeholders have intensified this demand, as the pandemic, otherwise called COVID-19 continues to devastate lives and livelihoods.

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This is quite pertinent to Nigeria and other Africa countries, parading dysfunctional health systems, obviously overwhelmed, by the virulent outbreak.

Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, addressed these issues, last week at a virtual press briefing.

According to her the apex health body, was committed to helping the region to scale-up health services especially, in underserved populations.

The event hosted by World Economic Forum (WEF), in partnership, with the apex health organization focused on the impact of the infection on the continent.

Dr. Moeti said ‘there is no doubt that governments need to invest more in health. We are working with them to focus on the highest prevalent diseases, an integrated way of delivering services to people.’

Moeti called for more testing in order to combat the disease across states.

Her words: ‘If we look at the rate of testing across African countries, there has been rather less testing than in other countries.’

Also speaking at the occasion moderated by the forum’s Managing Director, Adrian Monck, Minister of Investment Promotion, Small and Medium Enterprises and National Entrepreneurship, Mali, Safia Boly, said the country’s goal ‘was to help the informal economy grow toward the formal. In the case of Mali, we have made the support wide enough to help both through the pandemic.’

‘If there is one thing the pandemic has created, it is the understanding that the responsibility to provide healthcare to citizens is primarily that of the government, but not solely.’

The emergence of the zoonotic disease has, clearly exposed the appalling conditions of health care services in Nigeria and sister nations.

It is shameful that, government has to be persuaded or stampeded to discharge its responsibilities to the populace.

The parlous state of the health sector, characterized by incessant strikes, insufficient medical personnel, poor health facilities, fake drugs and wage deficits, captures this ineptitude.

Hence the proposed plan by the current administration to slash budgetary allocations to primary health care and education has sparked public outrage.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) urged federal government to reverse the move, because it was insensitive to the plight of citizens, who yearn for better living conditions.

The opposition party said reducing this year’s budgetary allocations for basic health care from N44.4 billion to N25.5billion, and for Universal Basic Education (UBE) from N111.7 billion to N51.1 billion was ‘the height of insensitivity to the plight of Nigerians.’

READ ALSO: COVID-19: More Concerns Over Easing Of Lock-downs In Nigeria, Africa

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement said, ‘it is even more distressing to still cut the primary healthcare budget,’ despite an alleged statement by a government official that ‘our health sector had gone moribund.’

‘A critical analysis indicates that with the N25.5 billion voted for primary health care, in a country of over 200 million citizens, the plan is to spend only about N125 per Nigerian, at the primary health care level, within the 2020 fiscal year.’

This is indeed worrisome and a reflection of government’s apathy to inalienable rights of citizens to qualitative life and access to basic necessities.

‘No government, which genuinely means well for its citizens, will vote a paltry N25.5 billion for basic health care, particularly at this time the nation is facing huge health challenges, while allocating a bigger sum of N27.7 billion for renovation of the National Assembly complex,’ he added.

The rationale behind this repair and the staggering amount earmarked for it, is what is irking most citizens and human rights groups.

Meanwhile, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has dragged Federal Government and National Assembly to United Nations (UN) over the reductions, alleging that they were ‘inconsistent with Nigeria’s commitments to implement Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).’

The group appealed to UN special rapporteurs, to ‘put pressure on Nigerian government and National Assembly to reverse the budget cuts and redirect the N27billion for the renovation of the National Assembly complex to increase healthcare and education budgets.’

The appeal, signed by the group’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare accused the authorities of ‘putting politicians’ allowances and comfort before citizens’ human rights. The budget cuts show failure to address the growing economic and social inequality in the country.’

‘We believe that alternative policies, such as reducing the costs of governance, including the excessive allowances for high-ranking public officials and the lawmakers, would have been a more appropriate solution to addressing budget deficits, as this would increase the available resources for healthcare and education.’

‘Criteria established in international standards have not been duly justified in the implementation of the budget cuts to healthcare and education. Instead, the cuts appear to be discriminatory against those most vulnerable to poverty and exclusion, and are not protective of the minimum core content of several human rights,’ it added.

This is the albatross encumbering many citizens, who have been pushed to the brink, due to unconscionable policies and systemic corruption in corridors of power.

No sane government will enunciate policies, capable of undermining lives of its citizens, most of who live below internationally acceptable poverty benchmarks. To say the least, the destituteness of many nationals is unnerving and unbearable, signified by escalating suicide rates and mental illnesses, across society.

The controversial decrement, are anachronistic, with current economic realities and portend grave danger to the polity.

A major pillar in the protection of the rights to healthcare and education, the group noted ‘is the obligation to progressively realize the rights set out in the international covenant on economic, social and cultural rights, making use of Nigeria’s maximum of available resources.’

These reductions ‘are of special concern, as they directly affect the minimum core content of these rights, and impact directly or indirectly and disproportionally on those individuals already discriminated against or living in most vulnerable situations.’

Unless government invests massively in health, education, agriculture and other critical sectors, accomplishing the SDGs, may remain a mirage.

.OJUKWU is a journalist and fellow of the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship, a Fulbright Scholarship Exchange Programme.

Send feedback to adeze.ojukwu@gmail.com

Tags: a Fulbright Scholarship Exchange ProgrammeCOLUMNISTfellow of the Hubert H. Humphrey FellowshipIn Health Care Amidst COVID-19OJUKWU is a journalistThe Imperative For Massive InvestmentsWorld Health Organization (WHO) and
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