ABUJA, Nigeria — Nigeria’s greatest health crisis is not simply inadequate healthcare but the persistent failure to prevent diseases before they become medical emergencies, public health analyst Arise Victor Oluwaseyifunmi has said.
Oluwaseyifunmi made the observation in a statement on Saturday, citing data from the World Health Organisation which shows that 63.7 percent of all deaths in Nigeria result from communicable, maternal, perinatal and nutritional conditions. He argued that these deaths are largely preventable through strengthened public health interventions, early detection, and community-based health education.
According to the analyst, the country’s health system has historically focused on treating illnesses after they occur rather than addressing the root causes of disease. He noted that this reactive approach has placed an unsustainable burden on the country’s already overstretched healthcare facilities, driving up costs and resulting in poor health outcomes, particularly among vulnerable populations.
Oluwaseyifunmi called for a fundamental shift in Nigeria’s health policy, prioritising prevention through investment in primary healthcare, disease surveillance, and health promotion. He stressed that strengthening primary healthcare would reduce the burden on secondary and tertiary hospitals and improve health outcomes across the country.
He also urged the government to address the social determinants of health, including poverty, malnutrition, and lack of access to clean water and sanitation, which he identified as major drivers of communicable diseases in Nigeria. He noted that without addressing these underlying factors, investments in curative care would continue to yield limited returns.
The analyst commended recent government initiatives, including the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund and the National Health Insurance Authority’s efforts to expand coverage, but warned that these programmes must be accompanied by a stronger focus on prevention to achieve meaningful impact.
He also called on state governments to increase funding for primary healthcare and to prioritise preventive services, including immunisation, maternal and child health, and health education. He noted that states have a critical role to play in addressing the health challenges facing their populations and that greater investment in primary healthcare would yield significant returns in terms of improved health outcomes and reduced healthcare costs.
Oluwaseyifunmi stressed that addressing Nigeria’s health crisis requires a comprehensive approach that combines prevention and treatment, and urged the government to develop a national health promotion strategy that would mobilise all sectors of society to address the root causes of disease. He also called on the media to play a more active role in raising awareness about preventable diseases and promoting healthy lifestyles.
The analyst’s remarks come amid growing calls for health sector reform, with many stakeholders urging the government to prioritise primary healthcare and prevention as key components of the country’s health strategy. For now, the evidence is clear: Nigeria’s health crisis is as much a crisis of prevention as it is of treatment, and addressing it requires a fundamental shift in how the country approaches public health.
