ODOCTOR.NG

Whatsapp: +2349046243882

×
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Work with me
  • Contact Us
  • Donate for Us

How Money Poses as an Obstacle to Health

How Money Poses as an Obstacle to Health
October 12, 2020SHEFONGeneral HealthSHEFON
FOR YOUR FRIENDS'SAKE, PLS SHARE!

STEWARD HEALTH FOUNDATION (SHEFON) SEMINAR ON
WHEN MONEY POSES AS AN OBSTACLE TO HEALTH
Date: 11th October, 2020.

Preamble


It is said, “in our country our people are killed essentially from
poverty , not necessarily from sicknesses and diseases.” We are a
country where more than 80% of the population live below
poverty level, earning less than $1 (dollar)a day.

This is a further confirmed by report jointly presented by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA and WORLD BANK in 2012 which reads thus; about 3.1 million
children died within the four weeks of life and an estimated
278,000 women died during pregnancy and child birth monthly.
Over 98% of these deaths occur in developing countries and most
of these are preventable with effective low-cost interventions
which regrettably are lacking.


The financial burden of sicknesses is so enormous and beyond the
reach of an average citizen. Malaria for example affects 97% of
Nigeria’s population and consumes an estimated 32 billion naira
annually only for the northern zone of the country. Yusuf (2019)

WHAT IS HEALTH?


The word “health” refers to a state of complete emotional and
physical well-being. Healthcare exists to help people maintain this
optimal state of health.
WHO, 1948, 1986 describes health as a state of complete physical,
mental and social well being and not merely the absence of
disease or infirmity.

Furthermore, health is a resource of
everyday life, not the objective of living but a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources as well as physical
capacities.


From the foregoing, this ultimately means that health is a
resource to support an individual’s function in a wider society,
rather than an end in itself.
A healthful lifestyle provides the means to lead a full life with
meaning and purpose.
When these are lacking ill-health, sickness and diseases set in.

COMMON PROBLEMS OF THE UNHEALTHY PERSON.


ALIENATION: The individual feels lonely, isolated and cut
off from family, neighbours and friends, errands, work
schedules and business opportunities are abandoned.


LOSS OF CONTROL: The sick person feels betrayed by his
body, which is vulnerable and no longer sure of what is
happening to it or how to plan for life, the future is
uncertain.


DISRUPTION OF ROUTINES: It disrupts normal running of
work places, church affairs, studies at school etc.


EXORBITANT: Taking care of sick people, more so, long
staying is very exorbitant, especially in a country like ours
where there is no meaningful assistance from government in
form of social welfare.

READ THIS:  Does Beans cause Ulcer?

COST OF TREATMENT OF CANCER PATIENTS IN NIGERIA


INFANTALISES: Many people even the rich have not
recovered from the losses incurred while sick and pulling
through an illness.


AWARENESS OF DEATH: It brings on the awareness of
death; this knowledge could be quite disturbing especially
among young people and people who never thought of
dying. It is said, “the pain of the death is often worst than
death itself.” (Wildersmith,1971)

HEALTH INSTITUTIONS IN NIGERIA


From available records, the country has thirty five (35)
teaching hospitals, sixty eight (68) federal medical centers
and specialist hospitals including Military health institutions.
Primary health centers from NPHCDA records are more
than thirty thousand (30,000) across the country. There are
numerous private health facilities both orthodox and
traditional medical practitioners.
Painfully, the financial demands of accessing health in all
these areas opposes a great obstacle to our citizens.
No wonder, UNICEF rates Nigeria as having the fourth worst
life expectancy in Africa; performing only better than the
Central African Republic, Chad and Sierra Leone.

WHEN MONEY POSES AS AN OBSTACLE TO HEALTH


In Malawi, when the authorities introduced user fees in her
health system 60.7% of respondents in a survey were not
willing to access health services because them could not
afford it. (Watson et al, 2016).


Another study between 2012 – 2016 shows that before introduction of user fees, hospital attendance was up to 90% but with the introduction of fees it came down to 15% – 18%
monthly.

When the government discovered the dangerous
trend and removed the user fees, monthly attendance rose
to an average of 83% thus, removing user fees from facility
based delivery services makes for positive difference in sub
saharan Africa ie, Ghana, Kenya and Senegal experience(Mekinon et al,2015)


Aregbeshola and Khan (2018) reported the catastrophic
health expenditure which is the measure of the financial risk
a family or individual incurred when they pay out-of-pocket
for health care services that are unaffordable. Some scholars say when a household spends up to 40% of its income on
medicare.


In their work, here in Enugu, Nigeria Okedo – Alex et al
(2019) reviewing the incidence and determinants of
catastrophic health expenditure reports of 40% households
were found suffering , occasioned by poverty,
underdevelopment, and low health motivation.
In their own work Barasa et al, (2017) that found annual
health bills pushed 453, 470 households into poverty.

READ THIS:  What are my Rights as a Patient in the Hospital Nigeria?

NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE SCHEME (NHIS)


The Nigeria National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was
designed to reduce catastrophic out-of -pocket expenditure
for healthcare in Nigeria to achieve universal health
coverage by 2015, however, only about 3% of the population
is covered by the scheme regrettably, only the formal
economic sector accounts for almost all the total enrolment.
(Adewole et al 2017, Adewole 2016)
With this, the large population of Nigeria still finds it
extremely difficult accessing healthcare.

ROLE OF NON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS (NGO’s)


Numerous NGO’s are currently existing in Nigeria. Health
education and clinical services constitutes the major areas of
current activities of these NGO’s.
WHO reports that nearly half (42%) receive foreign funds.
Local funded NGO’s restrict their activities to mostly health
education with about 60% of them in this area.


While the largest number are sub-national and community
based NGO’s their activities are put at 40%.
The activities of these NGO’s have added to access to health
but a lot is still being desired.

LOOKING FORWARD


Having looked at a few issues that impede access to health
these recommendations are put forward:

  1. Our Government should find ways to reducing poverty in
    the country by raising the living standard of the people.
  2. More funds should be channeled into the health system
    and out-of- pocket user fees abolished to enhance access
    to health by our people.
  3. Social welfare issues should be taken more seriously by
    our government, religious groups and NGO’s to
    adequately save the lives of our people.
  4. Our health institutions should be equipped and staffed
    with qualified highly motivated health professionals.
  5. There should be increased local funding from government
    and well spirited wealthy co operate bodies and
    individuals to our local NGO’s for optimal services.
  6. Our Educational Institutions should review their training
    programmes to incorporate courses that should raise our
    national values as this shall enhance the dignity of the
    human person.
  7. NGO’s should intensify their activities in the rural areas in
    order to help our people in the grass root have good
    health enlightenment.
  8. More research work should be done in our areas to
    discover other features of our poor state of health
    facilities utilization.
READ THIS:  The influence of Place-of-Origin in marriage in Igboland -way forward

CONCLUSION


It is believed that if the issues raised in the seminar are
considered and implemented, money shall no longer be
an obstacle to health in our communities and entire
country.
Thank you.

Very Rev. Jerome Uche Nduka
Medical Laboratory Scientist,
STEWARD HEALTH FOUNDATION
jerome.nduka@unn.edu.ng

References

  1. Adewole DAAS, Osungbade KO , Bello S. (2017) Expanding health
    insurance scheme in the informal sector in Nigeria: awareness as a
    potential demand-side tool. Pan Afri .med J 27; 52; 10.11604/pamj
    2017:27.5211092 http://www.jogh.org/documents/issue202001/jogh-10-010329.htm
  2. Adewole DOK (2016) Nigeria National Insurance Scheme: A highly subsidized Healthcare programme for a privileged few. Int. J. Dis Health
    19:1-11, 10.9734/ IJTDH/ 2016/27680. https://www.journalijtdh.com/index.php/IJTDH/article/view/20211
  3. Barasa, B W, Maina T, Rovishan ka N (2017) Assessing the effects of user
    fees in health facility utilization, Int. J Equity health. Feb 6:16 (1): 31 doi i0:1186/S12939-017-0526-
  4. Aregbeshola B.S Khan S.M (2018) Determinant of catastrophic health expenditure in Nigeria. Eur J Health 19(4) 521-532 doi 100/S10198-107-0899-1.
  5. Okedo-Alex, I N, Akamike I C Ezeanosike O B, Uneke C J (2019) A review
    of the incidence and determinants of catastrophic health expenditure in
    Nigeria. Implications of Universal Health coverage. Int.J Health plann Management Oct: 34 (4) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/hpm.2847
  6. Mc Kinnon B, Harper S Kantman J S and Bergerin (2015) Removing user
    fees for facility based delivery service: a difference and differences
    evaluation from Ten Subharam African Countries Oxford Journal Health
    Services and Planning: 30 (4)- 432- 444 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24816570/
  7. Watson, S I, Wroe E.B, Squire S B, Nazimira L, Dullie L Lifford R J (2016)
    The impact of user fees in health resources utilization and infection
    diseases diagnosis in Neno district Malawi a longitudinal quasi
    experimental study. B M C Health Services Research
    8. Wildersmith(1971) The paradox of pain Harold shaw publishers,wheaton,illinosis.
  8. WHO, UNICEF, WORLD BANK (2012)Trends in maternal mortality 1990 – 2010 Geneva: World Health Organization WHO (2019) Potential for government and NGO partnership in Health care. https://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/publications/monitoring/9789241503631/en/
  9. W H O(1948) International Health Conference ,New York.19 June _22 July,no.2pp100
  10. Yusuf, WA, Yusuf SA and Oladumi O.S (2019) Financial Burden of Malaria Treatment by Households in Northern Nigeria, Africa J. Biomed.Res vol 22 11-18 https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ajbr/article/view/190586

About SHEFON

STEWARD HEALTH FOUNDATION(SHEFON) was founded by MISS MICAH NGUWASEN AONDOHEMBA (B.MLS) . The vision of SHEFON is to serve as a reliable support system for pregnant women and cancer patients. Her mission is to educate, care and provide for all pregnant women and cancer patients all over Nigeria. Find out ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT US

View all posts by SHEFON

FOR YOUR FRIENDS'SAKE, PLS SHARE!

Add Comment Cancel


Subscribe

* indicates required

Ads

DISCLAIMER

DISCLAIMER

The contents of this site are informative. we do not diagnose diseases online. We do not prescribe drugs online. The contents of this site is subject to the opinion of your doctor, and MUST not serve as a substitute to your doctor's office. Face-to-face is better than hundred letters! I love you!

Find out more on disclaimer

+2349046243882

admin@odoctor.ng

https://odoctor.ng

ABUJA, NIGERIA

Latest Articles

  • 7 VAGINAL DISCHARGE COLOURS and their meanings

    The vaginal produces fluids that helps to keep it clean....

  • 10 POWERFUL Breastfeeding Techniques

    There are different types of breastfeeding techniques. Here is a...

  • BEST Breastfeeding Positions for Gas Relief

    Breastfeeding is both a science and an art. Your baby...

  • 8 Best Ways to Breastfeed your child PROPERLY

    Breastfeeding is beyond putting the baby to the breast. There's...

  • 15 PROVEN Causes (Risk factors) of Breast Cancer

    The science science world is yet to come with the...

  • For Diabetics: How to know when Your blood sugar gets too low

    Dor dianetics: This is how to knkw when your blood...

  • What to Do If a Snake Bites You

    Snake bites are not still strange. I lost a patient...

  • Health-Seeking Behaviour in Nigeria – A call for a Change

    This is an article that addresses the health seeking behaviour...

  • What can a diabetic patient eat in Nigeria?

    top Nigerian foods for a diabetic patient. What can a...

  • Effect of Pregnancy on mental health

    effects of pregnancy on mental health, how to care for...

  • Does Beans cause Ulcer?

    There have been many misconceptions about beans causing ulcer, this...

  • In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) in Nigeria: Clinics, Costs

    In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) in Nigeria: Clinics/centres, Costs, complications, advantages,...

  • Top 10 Body Changes that Occur during Pregnancy

    Body Changes that Occur during Pregnancy and why they occur

  • How Money Poses as an Obstacle to Health

    Money as an obstacle to good health in Nigeria. Money...

  • Must a Pregnant Woman go for Antenatal?

    antenatal - the importance of going for antenatal for pregnant...

  • Infertility: 11 neglected Causes in the men, No. 8 will shock you!

    Infertility in men: Top causes of infertility in men -...

  • Will My Weight Affect my Pregnancy or Baby?

    How will weight and height affect my pregnancy, how does...

  • Top 11 causes of infertility in women in Nigeria

    Infertility in women: Top causes of infertility in women -...

Quick Links

  • Sitemap
  • Symptoms & Signs
  • Testimony
  • Our Team
  • Donate for Us
  • Testimony
  • My Stories
  • Work with me
DMCA.com Protection Status

Categories

Archives

Recent Comments

  • ODOCTOR on Can I still get pregnant After Taking Postinor 2?
  • Pelumi2020 on Can I still get pregnant After Taking Postinor 2?
  • ODOCTOR on What actually is an Infection? An eye opener!
  • ODOCTOR on What actually is an Infection? An eye opener!
  • Vita Kriegel on What actually is an Infection? An eye opener!
Copyright ©2020 all rights reserved
Designed by ODOCTOR