- Nigeria Loses $1.2 Billion Annually to Medical Tourism – WHO
- Medical experts and stakeholders identified shortage of qualified personnel as a key factor
- Adolphous Loto, highlighted the critical need for resilience within the public health system
The World Health Organization (WHO) Coordinator in Ondo State, Dr. Habibu Yahaya, has revealed that Nigeria loses approximately $1.2 billion each year to medical tourism, attributing this to the weakness of the nation’s health system.
Eko Hot Blog reports that Dr. Yahaya made this known while delivering the keynote address at the 4th Annual Public Health Grand Round, held on Wednesday at Oladipo Akinkugbe Hall, University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo State.
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The event, themed Health Systems Strengthening: Building Resilience for the Future, was organized by the university’s School of Public Health. During his address, Yahaya highlighted that the country’s health sector remains vulnerable due to frequent disruptions.
He noted that Nigeria’s health system continues to suffer from major shocks such as disease outbreaks and pandemics, alongside long-standing issues like inadequate funding and ongoing industrial actions.
He said, “Health system fragility results in about 1.2 billion US dollars lost from the Nigerian economy to medical tourism yearly.”Buy vitamins and supplements
Medical experts and stakeholders at the event also identified the shortage of qualified personnel as a key factor contributing to the weakness of the country’s health system.
They emphasized that addressing the human resource gap is essential for building a more resilient and effective healthcare infrastructure.
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.” Buy vitamins and supplements
Speaking at the event, the Acting Dean of the School of Public Health, Professor Ofonime Johnson, described the Grand Round as an annual scientific forum designed to facilitate discussions on pressing and emerging public health issues.
Also addressing the gathering, the Acting Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Adolphous Loto, highlighted the critical need for resilience within the public health system, emphasizing its role in withstanding and adapting to various challenges.
“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.
