Healthcare delivery in a frail economy: challenges and way forward

Abstract

The Nigerian Nation is a pluralized, multi-ethnic and diverse geographical entity. The country is naturally endowed with financial, material and human resources. Nigeria is a mono-economy with an entirely skewed dependence on Crude-oil as a major source of foreign exchange earnings at the expense of other viable exportable resources.

However, mismanagement over long standing years has remained an impediment towards achieving her great potential. Nigeria economy plummeted into recession in spite of these huge resources and this has virtually affected all sectors of the economy. It is not in doubt that with worsening economic indicators in a recessed Nigeria, all ingredients germane to achieving qualitative healthcare delivery will be affected. This includes budgetary provision, institutional service delivery, staffing and even the citizens' financial accessibility and affordability of healthcare service. It is therefore important for government at all levels and even the citizens/populace to institute measures towards ameliorating these effects so that the country's poor health indices will not nose-dive. This review article aimed at looking at the effect of the economic recession on healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

Keywords: Healthcare, economic recession, Nigeria