The current COVID-19 pandemic has taken the world by storm and shaken the health systems worldwide. Nations that apparently had advanced and sophisticated health systems have struggled to deal with this pandemic.
Current morbidity and mortality figures show that the High Income Countries, HIC, have been hit the most by this pandemic, with some national death count in the tens of thousands, especially among the aged, frail and those with co-morbid conditions.
Nigeria has also reported a high number of COVID-19 cases, especially in the metropolitan areas, but nowhere near the figures coming from many developed societies.
Several reasons have been postulated for the relatively lower numbers in Nigeria, including climate and demographic factors. It’s pertinent to state that our understanding of this pandemic is still evolving.
Before COVID-19, there have been previous epidemics in the past in Nigeria, including epidemics of Ebola, Lassa fever and other viral diseases but not much have been learnt and opportunities for massive rejig of the system have been missed.
The current pandemic creates another opportunity for leaders and policy makers in Nigeria to critically appraise the healthcare system, understand its weaknesses and proffer long-term solutions.
Nigeria is a blessed nation and has all the ingredients to become a great nation, if well managed. From the perspective of a physician trained in Nigeria but working in a developed nation at the frontline, I think there are lessons Nigeria can learn from this pandemic.
First, no health system anywhere is foolproof. The ‘rich’ and ‘developed’ countries have struggled to deal with this pandemic.
All health systems require continuous re-evaluation and strategisation for better preparedness and service delivery. Second, Nigeria has the ability to deal with her local issues. No country is problem-free. Every nation promotes the best of itself.
We need to do a better job in information management, communication and messaging. Third, we cannot copy the healthcare policies of other nations hook, line and sinker.
We need to adapt fundamental healthcare principles to local realities and peculiarities for maximal impact. For instance, is total lockdown the best public health response for a small low-resourced Nigerian village during a pandemic when there are no cases locally?
Fourth, Nigeria cannot continue to depend on other nations for essential and much needed resources to deal with local issues.
No charitable organisation or nation can bear local responsibilities for the healthcare of a local populace. Why do we need foreigners to remind us of the importance of vaccinating our children, fighting and eradicating TB, HIV, Malaria, etc?
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