The latest Health Preparedness Index (HPI) reveals a stark divide in Nigeria’s healthcare landscape, with northern states struggling significantly despite foreign interventions.
According to a report from SBM Intelligence, sighted by Africa Health Report on Tuesday, Zamfara, Gombe, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Yobe ranked at the bottom with scores between 11.83 and 13.04 points.
The report attributes these low rankings to inadequate budget allocations, poor infrastructure, high infant mortality rates, and low immunisation coverage. “Healthcare delivery in these regions is severely hindered by insecurity and inadequate resources,” it states, highlighting the overwhelming burden on healthcare workers who are both overstretched and under-resourced.
In contrast, Lagos State emerged as the leader of the index with a score of 25.09 points, closely followed by Ogun State at 23.23 points.
The robust performance of Lagos is credited to substantial health budget allocations and a relatively advanced healthcare infrastructure. Ekiti State also showed impressive improvement, moving from 13th to 3rd place with a score of 23.04 points, while Bayelsa and Ondo completed the top five.
The report reveals that no state scored above 30 points, resulting in an overall ‘F’ grade for healthcare preparedness. This underscores a significant gap between increased health budgets and tangible improvements in healthcare infrastructure and capacity.
“Despite some improvements in health budget allocations, the overall health landscape in Nigeria remains concerning,” the report emphasises, calling for strategic investments in healthcare infrastructure and human resources.
It warns that without addressing fundamental issues, Nigeria’s ability to respond to future health emergencies will remain compromised.
