Should glaucoma be public funded in Nigeria? Resource allocation and justice-based arguments for funding glaucoma treatment

Abstract

Healthcare resources are finite commodities, yet have to appease competing healthcare demands. Unless healthcare resources are fairly distributed, most indigent Nigerians, who have glaucoma, would continue to suffer visual impairment and a worsened social life. This work categorizes healthcare resource allocation and provides justice-based arguments for funding glaucoma treatment by Nigeria. The arguments considered approaches to justice, especially Hippocrates, Marx, Rawls, Aristotle, utilitarianism, egalitarianism, communitarianism, capability theory, well-being, and fair opportunity rule. Finally, justice-based healthcare rationing and two-tiered healthcare model are discussed. A proposal for general health insurance funded tier 1 of the two-tiered health care that provides universal cost-free basic health care for diseases of public health importance, including glaucoma, is made.

Keywords: Basic universal health care, health resource allocation, two-tier health care, public funding, justice in health care