Austerity and the challenges of health for all in Nigeria

• Main Author: Ogundana Folakemi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: International Society for Development and Sustainability (ISDS) 2012-09-01
• Series: International Journal of Development and Sustainability
• Subjects: Austerity; Health and Healthcare
• Online Access: http://isdsnet.com/ijds-v1n2-28.pdf

The economic downturn experienced by Nigeria and many sub-Saharan African countries led to the adoption of austerity to restore the country’s economy since the 1980s. Since austerity emphasizes privatization and commercialization, instead of restoration, it had, however, impacted especially the Nigerian health sector negatively. Nigeria has indeed continued to bear witness to some of the worst health and healthcare statistics in the world. Evidence from key health indicators in Nigeria also clearly shows that the country’s health situation has experienced massive deterioration. Given the above, the paper argues that austerity constitutes a major impediment to the attainment of a good state of health as well as effective and viable healthcare delivery to all in Nigeria. The paper, therefore suggests: (1) reframing and recognizing health as a human right issue; (2) integration of indigenous medicine into the Nigerian national health delivery systems; (3) recognition of State investment in social services as quite necessary and important such that budget allocation to health is increased as ways forward.