Furthermore, it is important to strengthen the country’s surveillance and response systems to quickly identify and contain outbreaks. This includes providing adequate resources and training for health care workers, and establishing effective communication channels between health authorities and the public.
Additionally, Nigeria, with a population of 216 million, has a doctor-to-patient ratio of 1:5,000 versus the recommended 1:600 by the World Health Organisation. This adds greatly to health risks in Nigeria. In 2022, the Nigerian Medical Association noted that the country needed “about 303,333 medical doctors now, and at least 10,605 new doctors annually to bridge the manpower gap in the health sector.
Despite the Abuja Declaration of 2001 which mandated African Union member countries to allocate 15 to 20 percent of their annual budgets to the health sector, the Federal Government continues to allocate meagre resources to the sector. abuse of resources such as Turkmenistan, Myanmar, Equatorial Guinea and Bangladesh. African countries which score better than Nigeria include the Gambia , Kenya , Uganda and Ghana .