Staff Shortages, Commodity Stockouts Hampering Nigeria’s Healthcare Sector, Says ACOMIN

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Civil Society in Malaria Control, Immunisation and Nutrition (ACOMIN) has said that the Nigerian healthcare system is under severe strain, with persistent staff shortages, frequent commodity stock-outs, and infrastructural decay undermining the delivery of essential health services.

ACOMIN whose role in strengthening Nigeria’s community health response is being supported by the Global Fund through Impact Sante Afrique (ISA) is implementing a Community-led  Monitoring (CLM) strategy across 10 states (Adamawa, Anambra, Delta, Enugu, Kebbi, Kwara, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, and Oyo) in Nigeria.

Speaking during the Advocacy-Focused Media Dissemination meeting in Abuja yesterday, the Senior Programme Manager, Mrs. Fatima Kolo who represented ACOMIN National Coordinator, Ayo Ipinmoye, said that challenges arising from staff and health commodities shortage were threatening the quality delivery of essential HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria services that millions of community members rely on.

She said that Nigerian healthcare system is currently under severe strain, with persistent staff shortages, frequent commodity stock-outs, and infrastructural decay in various facilities especially at the community level.

“These challenges threaten the quality delivery of essential HIV, TB, and Malaria services that millions of community members rely on.

“These challenges do not occur in isolation; they interact and compound one another, eroding public confidence and adversely affecting population health outcomes across urban and rural communities.

“The impact is not abstract, affecting availability, accessibility, affordability, and quality of service,” she said.

ACOMIN said that the impact of these shortcomings are being felt daily by patients especially mothers who walk long distances only to find no health worker on duty, or unable to access drugs due to stock-outs, thereby losing confidence in their local health systems.

According to ACOMIN, the triple challenge: shortage of staff, commodities stock-out, and infrastructure gaps were key to various challenges that impede the ability of healthcare facilities to deliver optimal care.

On staff shortage, ACOMIN said that a combination of emigration (“Japa syndrome”) and poor working conditions have further depleted the workforce leaving many health facilities to operate with minimal staffing, especially at the primary care level.

With regard to commodity stock-outs and supply failures, ACOMIN said that essential drugs including antimalarials, and HIV medications as well as diagnostic tools (RDTS, HIV, TB test kits) have been reportedly unavailable in some health facilities, thus affecting service delivery and uptake.

The ACOMIN report also portrayed a decaying and dysfunctional health infrastructure, such as dilapidated buildings, inadequate or poorly maintained equipment, lack of potable water, and epileptic power supply.

“All these place the health system on the brink, eroding quality service delivery, it said.

ACOMIN urged all stakeholders and institutions, including government agencies (federal, state, and local governments), private sector and philanthropists, media organizations, communities (traditional and religious leaders) to get involved, act decisively, and collaboratively to strengthen Nigeria’s community health system for improved community health outcomes.