Nigeria loses health professionals to countries that did not invest in their education

Nigerian Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, has lamented that health systems remain weak in many developing countries like Nigeria, in part because they continue to lose their trained health professionals to developed countries that did not invest. in his first professional education.

Speaking at the opening plenary session of the 77th World Health Assembly (WHA) on Tuesday, Pate said half of the world’s population continues to experience “health poverty” – deprivation of access to affordable basic healthcare, such as immunization , reproductive and maternal health, newborn and child health care.

The 77th AMS will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, from May 27 to June 1. The theme of this year’s event is “All for Health, Health for All.”

Hundreds of Nigerian health workers migrate annually to more advanced countries, mainly because they seek better working conditions and a better quality of life. Some of the popular destinations include the United Kingdom, Canada and Saudi Arabia.

Various statistics show that more than 5,000 Nigerian doctors emigrated to the United Kingdom between 2015 and 2022.

According to the Development Research and Projects Center (dRPC), 233 Nigerian doctors moved to the UK in 2015; the number increased to 279 in 2016; In 2017 the figure was 475; In 2018, the number rose to 852; in 2019 it increased to 1,347; In 2020 the figure was 833 and in 2021 it was 932.

Nigeria’s medical education, like most of its tertiary education in public institutions, is highly subsidized, although many Nigerians believe that the government is not doing enough to support tertiary institutions.

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Global health needs

According to Pate, “Even the significant progress made in the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria appears fragile.”

He said it was necessary to “reexamine the global health pact between our countries.”

“Raising the legitimate questions of whether the global health architecture remains fit for purpose and whether we have the political will to reform it for a future of greater uncertainties,” he said. “These are the issues that Nigeria would like members of the Assembly to reflect on in the coming days.”

Nigeria’s efforts

While highlighting Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen its health system, Mr. Pate said the theme of the 77th World Health Assembly resonates deeply with Nigeria’s Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, which aims to save lives, reduce pain and produce health for all Nigerians.

“In Nigeria, we cannot ask the global community to do what we are not willing to do,” he said.

“We take responsibility and strive to rebuild our national health system, improve its governance, strengthen our public health capabilities and unlock our healthcare value chains.

“We are increasing domestic financing, expanding primary health care and financial protection for the poor and vulnerable, retraining frontline health workers and increasing training fees for new ones, stimulating local production of basic commodities, reinforcing basic public health capacities, strengthening prevention and preparedness, and controlling various disease outbreaks.”

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Pate also called on international health technical and financial partners to “adapt our commitments, align with our priorities and scale up the shift to use our national systems that are more sustainable and responsive to local needs.”

“We consider a strong Nigerian health system to be an integral part of regional health security in Africa and global health security,” he added.

Other recommendations

The Minister also recommended the continuation of the ongoing negotiations for a Pandemic Treaty and the review of the International Health Regulations.

He noted that “Nigeria aligns itself with the Common African Position” as negotiations continue until a fair agreement is reached and concluded in a special session before the end of the year.

He said the COVID-19 pandemic had exposed the vulnerabilities of health systems, in both developed and developing countries, and had challenged countries to rethink the connection between access to health and social justice.

“As the world emerges from the pandemic, we would have thought that the sobering lessons of the pandemic would rekindle our resolve to generate political will, strengthen global solidarity, refocus on addressing global inequalities and investing in the global commons,” said.

“Given that no country can be an island in this hyperconnected world, facing serious threats from infectious diseases, climate change and leadership dysfunction that perpetuate devastating conflicts in too many regions, in parts of Africa, in the Middle East and even in Europe; The gap between rhetoric and action could not be starker at a global level. “We cannot solve injustice with more injustice.”