₦airaland Forum

A LOOK AT THE CMPAIGN PROMISES OF APC/PMB: HEALTH SECTOR AS A CASE STUDY

Let us have another look at the APC Campaign promises, with particular emphasis on the promises made on healthcare. The essence of this piece is to keep reminding the APC that time to jaw jaw is over, it is now time to get busy and get to work. It is also for us as Nigerians to hold them accountable if they were not able to deliver and to also pray for them to succeed. 2019 is nearer than we expected. By the way these promises are configured, if put to reality, Nigeria will be a global power to beat as far as health care is concerned. Before I continue, let me refresh our minds on those promises by the APC:

HEALTHCARE:
Prioritize the reduction of infant mortality by 2019 to 3%; reduce maternal mortality by more than 70%; reduce HIV/AIDS infection rate by 50% and other infectious diseases by 75%; improve life expectancy by additional 10 years on average through our national healthy living programme.

Increase the number of physicians from 19 per 1000 population to 50 per 1000; increase national health expenditure per person per annum to about 50,000 (from less than 10,000 currently)

Increase the quality of all federal government hospitals to world class standard within five years

Invest in cutting edge technology such as telemedicine in all major health centres in the country through active investment and partnership and programs with the private sector

Provide free antenatal care for pregnant women, free health care for babies and children up to school going age and for the aged and free treatment for those afflicted with infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS

Boost the local manufacture of pharmaceuticals and make non adulterated drugs readily available

ENVIRONMENT
Ensure Compliance With Policies And Measures To Halt the pollution of rivers and waterways in the Niger Delta and other parts of the country

Create shelter belts in states bordering the Sahara Desert to mitigate and reverse the effects of the expanding desert

Adopt a holistic approach to erosion and shoreline protection across the country

Create teams of volunteers to plant and nurture economically viable trees in arid regions

Regulate the timber industry to ensure that double the number of trees felled are planted by the loggers

Ensure full compliance with town planning and environmental law edicts

Source:www.allprogresivescongress.org/manifesto

The APC promised to prioritize the reduction of infant mortality rate to 3% by 2019
This promise of the APC is in tandem with Millennium Development Goals (MDG) number 4, which is: To reduce child mortality by 2/3 (66%) between 1999 and 2015. Infant mortality rate is the number of children dying before they reach one year of age, per 1000 live births in a given year. According to World Health Organization (WHO) Report 2014, the infant mortality rate in Nigeria was 120 per 1000 live births in 1990 which has reduced over the years to 89/1000 in 2010, 77/ 1000 in 2012 and 74/1000 live births in 2014. This implies a reduction by 38.3% between 1990 and 2014. By this figure it implies that just a little above 50% of this MDG goal has so far been achieved, after 25 years… hmmm.

I want to believe that the APC understood the implications of these promises. I also want to believe that those who drafted these promises for the APC clearly understood what infant mortality rate is all about as well as the current infant mortality rate in Nigeria, which is 74 per 1000 live births as at 2014. In the past four years, the GEJ led government reduced infant mortality rate by 6.3%, from 79/1000 in 2011 to 74/1000 in 2014. If we extrapolate this to the next 24 years, the infant mortality rate would have been reduced by 37.8%, which will not be different from what the WHO had achieved in 25 years. And the APC told us they will prioritize the reduction of infant mortality rate to 3% (not by 3%) by 2019….. All things are possible!!

Now campaigns are over it is time to get to work. By this promise of prioritizing the reduction of infant mortality to 3% (not by 3%) by 2019, it means that all efforts must be on top gear to prioritize this reduction from the current 74/1000 live births to approximately 2 per 1000 live births in 2019…. Hmmm!!… I don’t believe in impossibilities, yes! Nigeria can become a world power in health; but things must be done the right way. To achieve this, the PMB-led government must tackle the leading causes of infant mortality head-on which include but not limited to: malaria, diarrhoea, birth asphyxia, pneumonia, preterm (premature) birth complications, measles and malnutrition. Other contributing factors include: mother’s level of education, environmental conditions, and political and medical infrastructure. Improving sanitation and access to clean drinking (potable) water, immunization against child killer infectious diseases (such as tuberculosis, polio, hepatitis, pertusis, etc) will go a long way in improving on the infant mortality rate.

Between 2000 and 2008 the national immunization coverage was between 10% and 50%. Some of the challenges attributed to this included: poor funding of the Primary Health Care (PHC) system, low political will and commitment, poor Cold Chain system, shortage of vaccines, weak surveillance systems, missed opportunities, under-served and hard-to-reach communities and refusal to accept immunization. To improve immunization coverage in Nigeria, the government of PMB should as a matter of priority do the following:
Provide adequate funding for the Primary Health Care (PHC) system
Strengthen the Cold Chain system by
Providing transport logistics,
Provision of Solar refrigerators
Disease surveillance
Building institutional capacity
Advocacy to political, traditional and religious leaders for ownership
Effective social and Community mobilization and sensitization through health education in social clubs, markets, schools, religious houses and health facilities

Another important cause of infant mortality, which is very common, is malaria. The MDG target for malaria was that by 2015, malaria would have been halted and its incidence will begin to be reversed, this target has been achieved globally and a lot of countries are making steady progress. The MDG report of 2014 stated that Nigeria and DR Congo accounted for 40% of malaria deaths globally. Children and pregnant women are particularly at risk. One of the ways of preventing malaria is through the use of insecticide treated bed nets (ITNs). Of the 700 million ITNs distributed to countries in sub-Saharan Africa between 2004 and 2013, only about 36% were sleeping under an ITN in 2013. In 2012 less than 20% of children in Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger slept under ITN compared to 70% reported in Benin, Madagascar, Rwanda and Tanzania.

It is true people may not be forced to use these nets at home but the government should come up with a ONE HOUSE-ONE-NET POLICY and if possible introduce incentives to motivate the women, to ensure that their household, especially the children sleep under them (the ITNs). By this singular act, the scourge of malaria would have been brought to its barest minimum and the attendant mortality associated with it will be drastically reduced even if we do not meet the set target of reducing the mortality rate to 3% of what it currently is, we would have set a standard in health care that will be the envy of all. The fight against malaria requires both political and financial commitment and the PMB government must brace themselves for this great task ahead. Nigeria can be better.
I wish PMB/APC luck!

REFERENCES:
WHO Report 2014
MDG Report 2014
World malaria Report 2014
………………………………………………………….……………..to be continued!

Dont even bother to continue we aint interested

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LueDaveLOVESYOU:
Dont even bother to continue we aint interested

Yes we are very much interested. We campaigned and voted for them because we believe in them and their promises. Am an APC member but we need to keep reminding us that there is no time for play. Threads like this, if given much attention by lalasticlala and going by the reputation of Seun the owner of Nairaland, if moved to the FP, it's likely to get to our leaders and keep them on their toes. We are too behind to go slow. While I believe slow and steady does it at times, I also believe we should at least be seeing some form of movement.
OP, u can always keep this coming weekly to remind the govt(not as an Antagonist) that we want the best for Nigeria, that is why we discontinued the previous govt because we weren't satisfied with their governance.
God bless the President!
May God give them all, the needed wisdom to bless Nigeria!
And God bless Nigerians.

Dannyset:
Yes we are very much interested. We campaigned and voted for them because we believe in them and their promises. Am an APC member but we need to keep reminding us that there is no time for play. Threads like this, if given much attention by lalasticlala and going by the reputation of Seun the owner of Nairaland, if moved to the FP, it's likely to get to our leaders and keep them on their toes. We are too behind to go slow. While I believe slow and steady does it at times, I also believe we should at least be seeing some form of movement.
OP, u can always keep this coming weekly to remind the govt(not as an Antagonist) that we want the best for Nigeria, that is why we discontinued the previous govt because we weren't satisfied with their governance.
God bless the President!
May God give them all, the needed wisdom to bless Nigeria!
And God bless Nigerians.

Thanks my guy...will keep reminding us. #naijashallriseagain

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