A silent emergency
Every day across rural Nigeria and Africa, countless lives are lostโnot to war or disasters, but to something far more preventable- a lack of basic healthcare access.
In villages tucked away in the heart of Nigeriaโs vast countryside, people fight for survival against diseases that should not be death sentences. A malaria infection should not claim a childโs life. A pregnant woman should not die in labour due to the absence of a skilled health worker. A simple vaccine should not be out of reach for infants. And yet, this is the daily reality for millions.
According to recent studies, an estimated 253,000 people die annually in Nigeria due to inadequate healthcare access. The 2023 report by the Nigerian Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) highlights an unsettling truth:
Over 60 per cent of Nigeriaโs rural population lacks access to functional primary healthcare centers.
Many of these facilities are either understaffed or lack basic amenities like electricity, clean water, or essential medicines.
Preventable deaths from malaria, typhoid, and diarrheal diseases remain rampant.
While urban areas witness rapid medical advancements, rural communities are left behind, suffering a silent crisis that continues to claim lives year after year.
The disturbing reality of rural healthcare
Despite global progress in medicine and technology, Africaโespecially rural Nigeriaโgrapples with healthcare access issues that date back decades. While issues like insecurity, unemployment, and poor infrastructure dominate political discussions, healthcare remains a neglected emergency that affects millions across all demographics.
Nigeriaโs 2023โ24 Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) presents deeply troubling data on infant and child mortality:
Neonatal mortality (deaths within the first 28 days of life) peaked in Kano, with 59 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Infant mortality (before the first birthday) was highest in Kebbi, reaching 90 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Under-five mortality soared to 161 deaths per 1,000 in Jigawa.
These are not just cold statistics. They represent real peopleโbabies, mothers, fathers, familiesโlost to causes we know how to prevent.
Factors contributing to the crisis include:
Lack of basic healthcare infrastructure:
Many rural communities do not have functioning hospitals or clinics. Where facilities exist, they are often:
Underfundedโmany have little to no government support.
Understaffedโwith too few trained health professionals available.
Underequippedโlacking essential drugs, ambulances, electricity, and clean water.
Cost barriers: Healthcare is too expensive
Even where healthcare exists, the rural poor simply cannot afford it. With over 40 per cent of Nigerians living below the poverty line, medical expenses often go ignored until an emergency strikesโwhen it may be too late.
Education and health awareness
Health isnโt just about hospitalsโitโs about knowledge. Many diseases could be prevented through proper education on:
Nutrition and balanced diets, basic sanitation and hygiene, the importance of vaccinations, family planning and maternal care. Yet health education is lacking in many rural areas, leading to avoidable deaths.
Skilled healthcare workers are leaving rural areas, doctors and nurses prefer to work in urban areas, where wages are higher and living conditions are better. Thousands migrate abroad, leaving behind critical gaps in the workforce.
Lessons from successful global healthcare models
Despite these challenges, there are solutionsโand we can learn from countries that have successfully improved rural healthcare.
Brazilโs family health programme
A team-based approach, where doctors, nurses, and community health workers are assigned to specific neighborhoods.
Personalised follow-ups ensure early intervention before illness escalates.
Focus on preventive care, significantly reducing infant mortality rates.
Rwandaโs community-based health insurance (CBHI)
A government-supported health insurance scheme covering even the poorest citizens.
Funded through government subsidies and community contributions, making healthcare affordable for all.
Kenyaโs mobile clinics
Fully equipped mobile clinics travel to remote villages.
Doctors visit communities instead of waiting for patients to come to them.
These models prove that with strong policies, funding, and partnerships, healthcare can reach rural populations effectively.
Urgent action needed: What must be done if Nigeria is to overcome its rural healthcare crisis: is, we must rethink how we work together.
Invest in primary healthcare centers to ensure basic amenities like electricity, water, and essential medicines.
Expand the healthcare workforceโtrain and deploy more community health workers.
Leverage technologyโtelemedicine can connect rural patients to doctors in major hospitals.
Strengthen healthcare educationโawareness programs must teach rural families about disease prevention.
Encourage the private sector to commitโbeyond donations, businesses must fund long-term healthcare projects.
A call to action: Healthcare must be a right, not a privilege
This crisis is bigger than statistics. It is about real livesโmothers lost during childbirth, children battling preventable diseases, families suffering in silence because the healthcare system fails them.
We can no longer afford to wait. The time to act is now.
Government, private organisations, community leaders, and individuals all have a role in reversing this crisis.
Policymakers must prioritise healthcare funding.
Healthcare professionals must bring services to rural areas.
The private sector must shift from charity to investment.
Every Nigerian must demand better healthcare access.
This crisis will not fix itselfโbut collective action can.
Healthcare is not a privilegeโit is a fundamental right.
Itโs time to make that a reality.
Credit:The Guardian