By Juliet Jacob
The Executive Director, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Faisal Shuaibu said the low demand for Primary Healthcare services in the country has remained sub-optimal due to poor quality of care, low level of trust in the health system occurring to its misinformation, disinformation, and social-cultural and geographical barriers.
Shuaibu who disclosed this in Abuja, Thursday in a statement obtained by our correspondent lamented that the outbreak of Covid-19 in 2020 has made the situation worst by bringing about social restrictions and heightening public distrust in the healthcare system, adding that the agency’s project on the application of the behavioural science is strengthening the demand for Primary Health services in Nigeria.
He observed that the COVID-19 pandemic impacted negatively on health-seeking behaviours and further weight down on demand for services especially at primary healthcare and community levels in the country.
He said: “The country stoves through COVID to recover demand for services using the existing structures and strategies, the NPHCDA is also working effortlessly with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)on how to explore behavioural science approaches and human-centred designs for more evidence-based interventions that would lead to long term desired changes in health-seeking new behaviours.
“The NTLC and NPHCDA for the excellent performances so far on this project, I am confident that the team has made sufficient progress on stage 1 of this project, therefore, they should consider taking immediate steps to develop the upscale plan,” Shuaibu said.
The Director, Community Health Services, Dr Chris Elemuwa explained that the project was designed to strengthen the demand for primary healthcare services and the agency has been able to raise awareness about the importance of accessing primary healthcare services and to educate communities on the benefits of preventive healthcare.
