Physicians Fear Nigeria May Miss 2030 SDGs’ Health Goals

The Nigerian chapter of the West African College of Physicians has expressed fear that the country may not achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on health by 2030.

Its vice president and Nigerian chairman of the college, Dr Jarmia Madaki, told journalists that most of the state governments do not allocate 15 percent of their annual budget to health as stated during the Abuja Declaration.

At a press conference to mark the end of the college’s 47th annual meeting held at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, Madaki said, “We have looked at the 2030 (SDGs goals) and we believe and say that we are not doing well as a country. If we really want to meet the 2030, the government has the ability to actually meet that target but the problem is whether it is ready to mobilise the political will to do so.”

He said, “For instance, look at what the government has allocated in the budget, we looked and found out that the Abuja Declaration stipulated that the government commit at least 15 percent of its budget to health, the best we have seen is not more than five percent.”

Madaki said although Nigeria has recorded some achievements but more needed to be done as, “We still see some diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDs which are still ravaging and killing our people. The government needs to double the efforts in these areas to reduce morbidity and mortality rate.”

He said over 80 Nigerian physicians converged on Bauchi for the 47th annual meeting and discussed issues of health care delivery. He said that the college’s mandate is to train others to be medical consultants.