The 2023 National Health Facility Survey, released by the National Bureau of Statistics, has revealed a troubling lack of access to functional basic medical equipment across all regions in Nigeria.
According to the report, no region surpassed the 50% threshold for access to essential medical tools in healthcare facilities.
The Southwest leads with 48.8% access to functional basic medical equipment, followed by the South-South at 43.7%. The Northeast recorded 34.2%, while the South-East, North-Central, and North-West lagged at 32.3%, 22.8%, and 20.9%, respectively.
Key issues highlighted in the survey include insufficient healthcare facilities in some communities, outdated or malfunctioning equipment, shortages of medical personnel, poor service quality, and an ineffective referral system.
Conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare with support from the World Bank, the NHFS iis involved in mapping and listing health facilities nationwide. 3,330 facilities were sampled across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The report showed that 68% of secondary health facilities and 29.9% of public primary health facilities had functional basic medical equipment. These tools include weighing scales, thermometers, stethoscopes, blood pressure monitors, and examination lights.
The survey revealed limited availability of family planning resources: 18.5% of facilities stocked family planning pills and 19.5% had injectables, 20.5% had male condoms, and 17.8% had implants or intrauterine devices.
Antenatal care services were more widely available, with 79.7% of public facilities offering them. The South-South led at 88.9%, while the North-West was lowest at 67.9%. Additionally, 94% of PHFs provided iron supplements, and 97.4% offered folic acid as part of antenatal care.
The survey assessed the availability of unexpired essential drugs, finding that 50.6% of these drugs were available in SHFs and 34.3% in PHFs.
Immunization availability was also evaluated, with the following vaccines reported in public health facilities:
The 2023 National Health Facility Survey highlights gaps in vaccine availability across Nigerian health facilities. Key vaccines like measles, pentavalent, oral polio, and BCG were available in just over 50% of facilities, while rotavirus (47.3%), pneumococcal (45.8%), and inactivated polio (48.6%) showed lower coverage. Critical vaccines for HPV (37.7%), yellow fever (50%), and meningitis (48.1%) also reflected limited access.
The NHFS provides a comprehensive evaluation of healthcare facilities in Nigeria, aiming to help healthcare managers identify weaknesses, improve service delivery, and assess the quality of care. The report emphasizes the need for urgent investments to address disparities and enhance the readiness of health facilities to deliver essential services.
