Public Health Challenges in Nigeria and Sierra Leone
Nigeria and Serra Leone are two west African countries with several differences in their health systems. So what exactly are the significant differences that arise in these two countries in their health care sector? And what are the strategies that have been put in place to assist both the government and the locals in overcoming those challenges?
Several strategies have been placed to help reduce maternal death in Sierra Leone, bearing the fact that it is the highest in the world. The first strategy is to enhance government accountability and partnership in the health care system (Ratnayake, 2017). This will help reduce governments’ parallel funding to other medical facilities and help them improve the existing ones to serve the current number effectively and efficiently. For example, accountability in donor funding and private sector involvement partner with the governance in the provision of health service.
The second strategy is better planning to provide the required resources and services to the health care system. For instance, the government is making efforts in the provision of strategic directions for the health sector through financial strategic planning.
The first strategy in Nigeria would be to increase the budgetary allocation of the health care system to serve the large population effectively (Odepoju, 2017). For example, the allocated budgets are used to purchase modern medical equipment that improves the delivery level of the healthcare system. The second strategy is the quality use of the data collected from the patients. For instance, the government would use the data to plan for future expectations and demands to be met when considering the high population.
References
Adepoju, O. O., Opafunso, Z. O., Lawal, A. F., & Ajayi, M. O. (2017). Assessing the challenges impeding effective primary health care delivery in Southwest Nigeria. International Journal of Basic, Applied and Innovative Research, 6(3), 65-71.
Ratnayake, R., Ratto, J., Hardy, C., Blanton, C., Miller, L., Choi, M., … & Barbera, Y. (2017). The effects of an integrated community case management strategy on the appropriate treatment of children and child mortality in Kono District, Sierra Leone: a program evaluation. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 97(3), 964-973.