Chidimma.G. Nwaku

When we hear the word “innovation”, what we visualize is a nerdy looking person on a stage receiving an award for some mind blowing invention, with all the accompanying flashlight. However innovation is all that and more; it is about finding new or improved way of doing things. It can be in the form of improving existing ideas, policies, systems. It can also be invention of new products like the Mhero ( a communication tool between health workers)
So what would we say health is? Health is the state of physical and mental well being of you and I. It is our responsibility to ensure that we are in perfect health.
But what if something goes wrong? That is we get sick or the lifestyle we live is not healthy enough. Who then comes in and advice or care for us? That is where the health care providers comes in and the process they deliver those services is termed “health care delivery” .
Africa unlike other continents seems to lag behind in terms of health care. Although we have our share of successes, there is on the rise well qualified health professionals and new health policies.
We also have our share of failures like the 2014 ebola outbreak in Liberia which spread to other countries like Nigeria etc the results were so fatal that its effect is still felt till today.
To accelerate innovation in health and health care delivery system in Nigeria, industrialization needs to play a major role particularly in the implementation of those innovations. Industrialization is simply part of a process where people adopt easier and cheaper ways to do or make things. Health sector in Nigeria has not fully opened its arms to the use of various technologies or has not fully maximize its potentials.One of the area in health sector which needs to take a quantum leap is primary health care.
Primary health care(PHC) which is majorly concerned with prevention, promotion and control of health; needs to adopt methods for better health care delivery system like in :
Firstly, promoting health messages through social media handles like Facebook, whatsapp etc. These messages should include healthy lifestyles like basic hand washing exercises, effects of smoking etc. These should be backed up by various organizations, ministry of health, churches, mosques etc. These could be very effective as 70% of people now spend time on social media than anywhere else especially the younger generation.
Also educating people on healthy practices by organizing seminars, workshops, community mobilization so that the public will be informed.Through these seminars or community mobilization some myths around vaccines and immunization will be debased; some believed that these vaccines could actually cause them disease instead of preventing it.
Secondly through establishing laws or policies that ensures that drugs dispensation get to the public that it was meant for. Some health care providers sell those drugs for their own profit gain.
Thirdly, public health care need a lot of funding in accomplishing it’s various projects. These funding could come from government ,ngos, big companies and also individuals. Public health care needs all the help it can get .
Finally, I feel that in as much that we concentrate on the major or obvious diseases like malaria, HIV etc. There are many prevalent disease that needs attention; disease like river blindness, elephantiasis- which most people in the rural areas attribute as caused by fetish medicine.
As Reuters/Finbarr O’Reilly said “Access is the greatest challenge to health care delivery in Africa ” I believe that health sector in Nigeria should embrace technology and innovation thereby making health services available to the public.

31 thoughts on “ACCELERATING HEALTH INNOVATION IN NIGERIA”

  3. If we must get good results from our health sector investment and indeed the entire economy, we must innovate. Doing the same thing all the time and expecting a different result is insanity. Thanks for sharing.

  8. I totally agree with you. Disease like candivascular, prostrate, breast cancers etc are being seen in the rural communities as being caused by some spiritual powers because of the cultural norms and beliefs. There is need for health interventions to tackle awarenes and information sharing on causes, prevention and management of Non Communicable Diseases which is killing people daily in our communities instead of focusing solely on HIV and malaria alone.

  9. Corruption in nigeria Health system did not allow government to deliver in this sector, WHO, undp and co are really tying to improve health system in africa, BUT WE HAVE BAD RULERS.

    when government build more Primary health cares and can start making awareness fom the grassroot, then our health system will be improved. Social medias aweraness are not for the grassroot, only radio boardcast can reach them.

    Even our PUBLIC offices holders dont believe in the health system, thats why the go abroads for medical treatments.

    There was a time our head of state spent all most a year in uk hosptial for treatment .

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