UNMASKING CORRUPTION IN THE NIGERIA'S HEALTH SECTOR.

By: Obidike Chukwuebuka,
EFCC Ambassador.

As nations battles the global covid19 pandemic, its imperative to underscore how corrupt practices has undermined the development of Nigeria's health sector.

The emergence of COVID19 has unveiled our unpreparedness as a nation in tackling our healthcare challenges and this is traceable to age long corrupt practices that has whittled down and eroded the prospect of making our healthcare system a reliable institution for our citizens.

The World Health Organization currently positions the Nigerian
health system at the 197th place of 200 WHO countries evaluated, also Evidence from an International Monetary Fund (IMF) reports show that corruption has a devastating negative effects on health indicators like infant and child mortality, female education, health budget and spending. Corruption therefore lowers the immunization rate of children as stated above, and also thwarts the delivery of essential treatment, especially for the poor; and as well dampens the use
of public health facilities.

Nigeria is tagged with some of the worst health care statistics in the world. This makes the country one of the least in virtually all development index.

Corruption has placed the Nigerian Primary Health Care system is in a state of total breakdown. Primary Health Care centres are in disarray with structures adorned with expired drugs and cob webs.

According to a report by UNDP, life expectancy in Nigeria has declined drastically from 47 to 43 years. Nigeria accounts for 10% of the world’s maternal mortality rate in child birth and constitute only 2% world’s population (WHO, 2015).

The menace of corruption is quite complex as it threatens health care access,
fairness and outcomes. The EFCC must be eulogisised for taking action against the malicious effects of corruption as it struggles to disaggregate precise corruption harms in the health sector, and to detect and comprehend the core causes in the fight to overcome this menace.

Its worthy of note that the efficiency of health care system in any nation is predicated on transparent combination of financial resources as well as human resources, the supply and delivery of timely services to vulnerable populace throughout the country.

If Nigeria's health care system must achieve efficiency, it needs a
system that mobilizes, distributes resources, processes information and acts upon it. This entails that good governance is considered as a yardstick in ensuring a sustainable and efficient health care delivery as government officials have the oversight in ensuring that the right approach is taken and the right policies implemented.

Obidike Chukwuebuka,
EFCC Ambassador.
docobidike@yahoo.com