the collapse of primary health care - guardian editorial
GUARDIAN
Friday, July 25, 2008
The collapse of Primary Health Care Collapse of primary health care threatens health care services in the country
While most facilities are in various state of despair, with equipment and infrastructure being either absent or obsolete, the referral system is almost almost non existent, Ben Ukwuoma, Ronke Olawale and Chukwuma Muanya, write that the Primary Health Care, is in doldrums and may worsen the already gloomy health profile of the country.
H E passionately promoted it and worked tirelessly to entrench it into the health care delivery system of the country.
He dreamt of a comprehensive health care system, that is not only promotive but protective, preventive.
He envisaged a system where patients with simple ailments such as immunization, malaria diarrhoea and pneumonia are well taken care of, while the pressure on the secondary and tertiary facilities is reduced.
That was vintage Professor Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, the late former minister of health who in March 1988 introduced the Primary Health Care.
The concept was unique and backed by many international donor agencies. It flourished.
In space of one year, it was introduced in more than 300 of 449 Local government areas. Health indicators shone brightly as most communicable and non-communicable diseases were put in check. Immunization coverage was not left as it jumped from less than 20 percent to 80 percent.
Tragically, 20 years after, the health system performance of the country does not give cause to cheer as the country is now ranked 187th among the 191member states by the World Health Organization W .H.O .
Even routine immunization coverage rate that reached over 80 percent in the early 1990s has nose-dived to an all time low.
The disease burden is nothing to cheer about. Malaria accounts for over 65 percent of out patient attendance and 10 percent death rate; tuberculosis is on the increase due to increase prevalence of HIV/AIDS.
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