Abstract
The relationship between health and sustainable development have long been established. Hence the need to rigorously pursue strategies to improve the health status of a nation’s citizenry through functionally effective and efficient delivery systems. However, health and healthcare delivery is a major problem confronting developing nations like Nigeria. In August 1987, Primary healthcare (PHC) was adopted as the cornerstone of health care and health policy in Nigeria. About three decades after, studies have shown that health and healthcare in Nigeria have not significantly improved; and the delivery of health services have become a perennial problem, defying the various solutions that had been advanced to solving it over time. In the face of dwindling economic reality in Nigeria, reviving primary healthcare becomes a viable alternative that will not only produce healthy and productive citizens, thereby generating national wealth; but will also reduce the cost of health care delivery to the average Nigerian. This paper presents a theoretical diagnosis of the state of affairs of healthcare delivery in Nigeria focusing on PHC as the hub of health policy. It examines the problems of PHC, identifying gaps within it that militates against successful implementation and outcomes. The paper concluded that certain deficits in the scope and policy process of PHC in Nigeria accounted for the programme’s incapacitation. It however recommended a thorough situation analysis as a prelude to a bottom-up policy approach, inclusion of the informal health sub-sector especially the traditional health care practitioners as a viable as well as cost effective strategy for the revamping of primary health care in Nigeria. Keywords: Health, primary, context-based healthcare, policy, revamping DOI : 10.7176/JHMN/58-10
Highlights
The phenomenon of health and illness in human history dates back to time immemorial
The aim of this paper is to provide critical insights and raise major issues for the revamping of primary health care – the hub of the country’s health policy, for the overall revival of health care delivery in Nigeria
Summary And Conclusion The discussion far presents an overview of Nigerian health policy: Primary healthcare (PHC) and the problems militating against the attainment of its goals
Summary
The phenomenon of health and illness in human history dates back to time immemorial. They constitute some of the realities that man has had to face in his experience of life. Man from prehistoric times had devised means of maintaining health and restoring the body to normalcy at whenever he falls sick This culminated in the emergence of traditional medicine as can be found among different peoples and cultures. There was the need to develop means vis-à-vis policies, strategies and funding, through which healthcare can be made available to the people This gave birth to the notion of healthcare delivery systems – an arrangement consisting of “all organizations, people and actions whose primary intent is to promote, restore or maintain health (WHO, 2007). Nigeria has struggled over the years, to develop and sustain different policies and programmes for the delivery of care to its vast citizenry All of these attempts have suffered the same fate as developmental efforts in other spheres of national life. The aim of this paper is to provide critical insights and raise major issues for the revamping of primary health care – the hub of the country’s health policy, for the overall revival of health care delivery in Nigeria
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