Notagain Campaign
THE
private sector health community can accelerate Nigeria’s progress
toward meeting some of the most challenging goals that have been set
relating to child and maternal health, the United States Department for
International Development (USAID) has said.
Mission Director at USAID, Michael Harvey, said at a seminar on overcoming fragmentation in the private sector, in Abuja, that the health systems in Nigeria were facing various challenges. She also spoke on Strengthening Health Outcomes through the Private Sector (SHOPS/ Nigeria), she stressed that the mirage of challenges faced by the Nigerian private sector health community, she noted how access to quality service is impacted upon.
She said: “But that is actually a very interesting segue into this morning’s conversation which is to explore the role of the private sector in providing basic healthcare services in Nigeria and to understand how the private sector health community can accelerate Nigeria’s progress toward meeting some of the most challenging goals that have been set for ourselves relating to child and maternal health, specifically on contraceptive prevalence and family planning. We all know that the systems in Nigeria are struggling to meet the need.
“Those of us who travel often or live in northern Nigeria know that the health infrastructure in the north is particularly challenged, particularly thin, especially when you get out into the rural areas. And this continues to be a serious challenge. But it is a challenge, which you can find across the country, north, south, east and west. We often joke that the Republic of Lagos has 60 percent of the medical providers in the country, and that by itself is a major challenge as we try to get healthcare services up and out to the parts of the country where people’s ability to pay for healthcare services are not as great.”
On Ebola, she sent her sympathy to the Nigerian government over the recent Ebola outbreak.
Noting the challenge Nigeria was facing, she observed that as very much on edge due to the very immediate public health challenge related to Ebola.
Her words: “In that context, I want to appreciate you for taking time to join this meeting. I know that many of us have also been very distracted in having to manage the response of the Ebola threat. I want to offer my compliments to the Government of Nigeria for the seriousness with which they are taking this threat and also recognize that we are working within a system which is not as strong as we would like it to be. I can assure you that the Government of the United States as well as many of the other countries around the world are standing with Nigeria and the other countries of West Africa to deal with this threat and we will continue to do what we can to support you as you try to get on top of this latest problem.
“Our heart goes out to the family of the young woman who has passed away, who was only doing her job, which was trying to save the life of a sick man, and then she herself became sick and passed away. We pray for others who have become infected that they would beat the odds and survive this illness.”
Noting the role of the private sector in healthcare provision across Africa, the USAID chief stressed how this transition was redefining of the respective roles of public and private sectors in health provision.
Her words: “It has been one of the most dramatic changes that we have seen in the last 15 to 20 years. It is a global shift, but it is a shift which is happening in Africa as well. It is a shift that USAID and the U.S. Government have been part of promoting.
“I served previously in Jordan, a small country which has a very, very strong healthcare sector. But it was until very recently, very much a public sector-dominated healthcare system through the civilian, but also the military healthcare system.
Mission Director at USAID, Michael Harvey, said at a seminar on overcoming fragmentation in the private sector, in Abuja, that the health systems in Nigeria were facing various challenges. She also spoke on Strengthening Health Outcomes through the Private Sector (SHOPS/ Nigeria), she stressed that the mirage of challenges faced by the Nigerian private sector health community, she noted how access to quality service is impacted upon.
She said: “But that is actually a very interesting segue into this morning’s conversation which is to explore the role of the private sector in providing basic healthcare services in Nigeria and to understand how the private sector health community can accelerate Nigeria’s progress toward meeting some of the most challenging goals that have been set for ourselves relating to child and maternal health, specifically on contraceptive prevalence and family planning. We all know that the systems in Nigeria are struggling to meet the need.
“Those of us who travel often or live in northern Nigeria know that the health infrastructure in the north is particularly challenged, particularly thin, especially when you get out into the rural areas. And this continues to be a serious challenge. But it is a challenge, which you can find across the country, north, south, east and west. We often joke that the Republic of Lagos has 60 percent of the medical providers in the country, and that by itself is a major challenge as we try to get healthcare services up and out to the parts of the country where people’s ability to pay for healthcare services are not as great.”
On Ebola, she sent her sympathy to the Nigerian government over the recent Ebola outbreak.
Noting the challenge Nigeria was facing, she observed that as very much on edge due to the very immediate public health challenge related to Ebola.
Her words: “In that context, I want to appreciate you for taking time to join this meeting. I know that many of us have also been very distracted in having to manage the response of the Ebola threat. I want to offer my compliments to the Government of Nigeria for the seriousness with which they are taking this threat and also recognize that we are working within a system which is not as strong as we would like it to be. I can assure you that the Government of the United States as well as many of the other countries around the world are standing with Nigeria and the other countries of West Africa to deal with this threat and we will continue to do what we can to support you as you try to get on top of this latest problem.
“Our heart goes out to the family of the young woman who has passed away, who was only doing her job, which was trying to save the life of a sick man, and then she herself became sick and passed away. We pray for others who have become infected that they would beat the odds and survive this illness.”
Noting the role of the private sector in healthcare provision across Africa, the USAID chief stressed how this transition was redefining of the respective roles of public and private sectors in health provision.
Her words: “It has been one of the most dramatic changes that we have seen in the last 15 to 20 years. It is a global shift, but it is a shift which is happening in Africa as well. It is a shift that USAID and the U.S. Government have been part of promoting.
“I served previously in Jordan, a small country which has a very, very strong healthcare sector. But it was until very recently, very much a public sector-dominated healthcare system through the civilian, but also the military healthcare system.
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