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According to a report by SBM Intelligence, which was reviewed by Nairametrics, Lagos State topped the index with a score of 25.09 points, closely followed by Ogun State with 23.23 points.
Lagos's high ranking is largely due to its significant health budget allocations and a more developed healthcare infrastructure compared to other regions.
Ekiti State also demonstrated notable progress, achieving 23.04 points and moving from 13th place in 2021 to 3rd place in 2023. Bayelsa and Ondo States completed the top five, scoring 22.99 and 22.86 points, respectively, with Bayelsa rising from 11th to 4th and Ondo from 2nd to 5th.
Challenges in the North
Conversely, northern states continue to face considerable healthcare difficulties. Zamfara, Gombe, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Yobe were identified as the lowest performers, with scores between 11.83 and 13.04 points.
The report attributes these challenges to insufficient budget allocations, inadequate infrastructure, high infant mortality rates, and low immunization coverage. It noted that "Healthcare delivery in these regions is severely hindered by insecurity and inadequate resources," highlighting that the healthcare workforce is both overstretched and under-resourced.
Budget Increases Not Yielding Results
No state in Nigeria achieved a score above 30 points on the index, resulting in an overall ‘F’ grade for all states. This underscores the significant disparity between increased budget allocations and tangible improvements in healthcare infrastructure, capacity, and emergency preparedness, including responses to pandemics.
Despite health budgets seeing enhancements in recent years, with 30 out of 36 states increasing their health budgets from 2021 to 2023, the overall health budget allocation for 2023 was only 9.29%, a notable rise from 4.65% in 2021.
Cross River stands out with a notable allocation of 22.1%, followed by Kaduna at 15.8% and Bauchi at 15.0%. In sharp contrast, Bayelsa (3.4%), Ekiti (2.5%), and Ebonyi (0.5%) have allocated the least amounts of their budgets to healthcare.
SBM Intelligence cautions that these budget increases have not led to significant enhancements in preparedness. Even in states where health budgets have risen, the effects have been inadequate in tackling fundamental issues such as insufficient healthcare infrastructure and a shortage of healthcare professionals.
While there have been some advancements in health budget allocations across various states, the overall health situation in Nigeria remains troubling. Numerous states continue to face escalating health challenges, worsened by a lack of infrastructural development. This highlights the critical need for ongoing, strategic investments in healthcare infrastructure, workforce development, and service delivery throughout all states to improve Nigeria's overall health readiness.
The doctor-to-population ratio is a major concern impacting healthcare delivery in Nigeria. This crucial metric, which carries the highest weight of 30 points in the index, highlights the significant disparities in health system preparedness across the nation.
The report indicates that many states do not meet the recommended standards for healthcare delivery, leading to an overstretched and under-resourced healthcare workforce, which emphasizes the urgent need for improvements.
The results emphasize the necessity of not only augmenting health budgets but also guaranteeing the effective utilization of these funds to enhance healthcare systems. If fundamental issues like healthcare infrastructure, workforce capacity, and service delivery are not addressed, Nigeria's capability to manage future health crises will continue to be at risk.
The 2024 Health Preparedness Index from SBM Intelligence acts as a prompt for Nigerian states to reevaluate their healthcare approaches. Although some advancements have been achieved, the report indicates that significant additional efforts are required to prepare the nation for upcoming health challenges.