Health, they say, is wealth. No one can excel in any other aspects of life being unhealthy. That is why it is essential to make health our number one priority. This is why the goal has the mission to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

The global goal 3,  deals with Good health and well being of humans across the world. The UN, by this goal, sets the guidelines to obtaining quality health and well being at priority level. The process for measuring the targets of this goal uses 21 indicators. 

This all important goal has 13 targets and 21 indicators to measure progress toward targets. The first nine targets are tagged outcome targets. They include: 

1. Reduction of maternal mortality; 

2. End all preventable deaths under five years of age; 

3. Fight communicable diseases; 

4. Ensure reduction of mortality from non-communicable diseases and promote mental health; 

5. Prevent and treat substance abuse; 

6. Reduce road injuries and deaths; 

7. Grant universal access to sexual and reproductive care, family planning and education; 

8. Achieve universal health coverage; and 

9. reduce illnesses and deaths from hazardous chemicals and pollution. 

According to Wikipedia, there are  four means to attain SDG 3 targets. They include;

1. Implement the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control; 

2. Support research, development and universal access to affordable vaccines and medicines;

3. lIncrease health financing and support health workforce in developing countries; and 

4. Improve early warning systems for global health risks.

The world is frantic in its efforts to keep itself abreast of the issues of health. The big question, however, is are people all over the world living in good health? The answer is far from an emphatic yes. According to World Health Statistics, too many people are still dying of preventable diseases. There are also many people who are being pushed into poverty to pay for health care out of their own pockets and too many people are unable to get the health services they need. This, said Dr Gebrehyesus, is not acceptable. 

Target 1 of SDG goal 3, for example, is set to reduce maternal mortality to less than the ratio of 70% of every 100,000 live births by 2030. But statistics have it that in  2015, there were 216 deaths per 100,000 live births (a drop of 44% from 1990); however, in 2013, over 40% of all pregnant women were still not receiving early antenatal care. 

Target 3.3 states that by 2030, the World would be rid of  epidemics such as AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases would be seriously combated.

Admittedly, rates of tuberculosis have declined by 19% over the 16 year period from 2000 – 2016. But while progress is significant, it is still not fast enough to close the yawning gaps. The menace of  drug-resistant TB is a continuing threat.

Importantly, Target 3.8 is to achieve universal health coverage for all. But at least half the world’s population still do not have full coverage of essential health services and an estimated 97 million people were impoverished by out-of-pocket health-care spending in 2022.

In Nigeria, The top causes of death are; malaria, lower respiratory infections, HIV/AIDS, diarrheal diseases, road injuries, protein-energy malnutrition, cancer, meningitis, stroke and tuberculosis. 

According to www.statista.com the top 10 killer diseases in Nigeria are distributed as follows;

1. Neonatal disorders 12.25%
2. Malaria  12%
3. Diarrheal diseases 11.36%
4. Lower respiratory infection 10.85%
5. HIV/AIDS5  18%
6. Ischemic heart disease 4.37%
7. Stroke  3.98%
8. Congenital birth defects 3.26%
9. Turberculosis  2.84%
10. Meningitis 2.82%

Nigeria’s Response to Health Crisis

In the beginning of 2022, life expectancy at birth in Nigeria was about 61.33 years. It is equivalent to 60 years for males and 63 years for females. Life expectancy at birth in Nigeria is among the lowest in Africa as well as in the world. 

This should be a cause for sleepless nights for every concerned stakeholder; government, private sector players, households and individuals.

The current health statistics in Nigeria do not look good at all. It can be said that all is not well with the health sector in the country. This is due to the fast and alarming deteriorating capacity of the health system, with an estimated infant mortality rate at 69/1000 live births; under-five mortality rate at 109/1000 live births; maternal mortality ratio at 814/100 000 live births; average life expectancy for men and women at 53 and 56 years, respectively; and relative probability of dying between 15 and 60 years estimated at 341 per 1000 population. In the last 10 years, there have been calls to address these prevailing issues, especially on the provision of better facilities for disease diagnosis and treatment, improved health workforce welfare and remuneration and a national health insurance scheme. 

One notable response is the National Health Act, which was signed into law by the former President Goodluck Jonathan on October 31, 2014, albeit having generated diverse disagreements and interests among various health professionals and stakeholders in the preceding 5 years.

The private sector is not left out of the attempt to rescue our ailing health sector. The efforts of the private sector cannot be overemphasized in the quest to deliver an affordable and accessible health system to our people. AYGF for instance has taken it upon itself to start from the low hanging fruits of the solutions to the health sector problems. AYGF has been in  partnership with the world bank and other organizations in rendering essential health services to the poorest and rural dwelling Nigerians.

In responding to the nutrition deficiency, particularly among children and mothers, the Federal Government of Nigeria entered into a financing and aid agreement with the International Development Association  and Global Financing Facility (GFF) to implement the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) project to the tune of US$ 232 million. The Project uses part of this financing to undertake a knowledge, attitude and practices survey among caregivers of children 0 – 23 months on maternal, infant, and young child nutrition. The overall project objective is to increase the utilization of quality, cost-effective nutrition services for pregnant and lactating women, adolescents, girls and children under five years of age in 12 high malnutrition burden states of Nigeria, representing all six geographical zones of the country. 

AYGF, one of the institutions to be saddled with the responsibility of dispensing the nutrition to the people, recruited a total of seven hundred and twenty (720) volunteers to cover all the wards where ANRiN project is being implemented in Kogi and Niger States. In all, 576,674, (281,195 Kogi and 358,479 Niger) beneficiaries have been enrolled on the ANRiN app in the last one year of the project in Kogi and Niger State respectively. AYGF produced a ready-to-use therapeutic food for NAFDAC and world bank approval in Kogi State. 2,315,676 (1,020,707 Kogi and 1,294,969 Niger) Basic Package Nutrition Services BPNS have been provided to beneficiaries in the 10 LGA and 13 LGA of coverage in Kogi and Niger States respectively

We are hoping that other organizations will join the race to create a healthy community for us all in Nigeria. 

*Alexander Agbo is a Policy Research and Advocacy Officer at Africa Youth Growth Foundation, Wuse Zone 2, Abuja.