Nigeria Loses $1.2bn to Medical tourism Annually – WHO

BY BONNY AMADI WITH AGENCY REPORTS

World Health Organisation (WHO) coordinator in Ondo State, Dr. Habibu Yahaya, has disclosed that Nigeria loses about $1.2 billion to medical tourism annually due to what he described as the fragility of the country’s health system.

Yahaya made the disclosure as the keynote speaker during the 4th Annual Public Health Grand Round held yesterday at Oladipo Akinkugbe Hall, University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo State, reports The Guardian.

With the theme of the event, ‘Health Systems Strengthening: Building Resilience for the Future,’ organised by the School of Public Health of the institution, the WHO coordinator in the state emphasised that the development is not unconnected to the shocks often experienced by the country’s health system.

According to him, the country’s health system is facing acute shocks such as epidemics and pandemics, as well as chronic stressors identified as poor funding and persistent strikes.

He said, “Health system fragility results in about 1.2 billion US dollars lost from the Nigerian economy to medical tourism yearly.”

Also, medical experts and stakeholders at the event pointed out that one of the factors responsible for weak health systems is the human resource gap.

During a panel session tagged ‘Human Resource Gaps in Healthcare,’ moderated by the Vice-Dean of the School of Public Health, Dr. Ibukun Adesiyan, the Chairman of the Committee of Deans, Professor Ezekiel Adebayo, said, “UNIMED was established with the vision of solving Nigeria’s human resource gaps in healthcare.

“The university runs the highest number of accredited health professional courses in any Nigerian university. We are the only university in West Africa training dental surgeons, technologists, and therapists at the degree level.”

On her part, the Acting Dean of the School of Public Health, Prof. Ofonime Johnson, described the Grand Round as an annual scientific gathering that provides a platform for discussing emerging public health challenges.

Earlier, the Acting Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Adolphous Loto, stressed the im- portance of system resilience in public health.

“A system has both input and output. Resilience is the ability of that system to withstand pressure without breaking. Building our health system to resist shocks while continuing to deliver essential services is non-negotiable,” he said.