The Evolution Of Human Resource Management In Reforming The Health Sector In Nigeria

Abstract

The civilian administration in Nigeria had ushered in a ‘new breeze' of socio-economic reforms across the country. The reform in all sectors aims at addressing dissatisfaction of the Nigerian populace restlessly desiring change for a better Nigeria. The National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy, (NEEDS), was adopted as Nigeria's national reform programme and it involve all sectors including health. It was obvious even before the advent of democracy that the strategy \"health for all by the year 2000\", would not succeed without fundamental changes in the prevailing culture in public health services in the country. More- so the challenges pose by the Millennium Development Goals declaration on all the UN member countries makes Nigeria to recognize the underlying need to undertake necessary radical changes against the traditional approaches in the provision of its health care delivery in other to meet the goals of these global initiatives. These gave birth to the Health Sector Reform programme of the Federal Ministry of Health. The Health Sector Reform is focusing on making efficient use of resources, especially human resource in order to achieve a sustainable healthcare development. The evolution of health sector reform and its relationship to the Human Resource for Health (HRH) in Nigeria is quiet topical for the Health System development. This article intends to review the evolvement of Human Resources for Health and how it is shaping the reform process in the Nigerian Health Sector.

Keywords: human resources, health sector reform, nigeria

Annals of Nigerian Medicine Vol. 2 (2) 2006: pp. 1-8