Health

With almost half of all Nigerians living below the poverty line and facing the dual burden of a high incidence of both infectious and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), Nigeria’s under-funded public health system is under significant pressure. Accordingly, international aid organisations and the private sector have a major role to play in alleviating the burden on the state, and there is a strong need for stakeholders to work together to ensure that reliable and affordable health care reaches all segments of society. While significant progress has been made in the reduction of life-threatening infectious diseases and performance on key health indices is improving, there is still a long way to go to meet the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDG), an objective that is incorporated into Vision 20:2020, the country’s long-term economic development strategy. There are also hurdles to overcome in ensuring that every Nigerian, irrespective of geography and income, has access to basic health services. The Ministry of Health has proposed ambitious initiatives that could dramatically improve the provision of health care at all levels; execution and delivery will be dependent on key legislative bills being passed, the requisite funding being mobilised and the direction of the new administration.

This chapter contains an interview with Colin Cummings, Chairman and CEO, Swiss Pharma Nigeria.