The WHO estimates that there are over 500,000 deaths from malaria alone every year on the continent. And indeed, many of the issues facing the Nigerian healthcare system are similar to those faced in much of the rest of Africa. What then, does the new Buhari administration need to do in order to address some of the persistent problems facing Nigeria’s public health infrastructure?
Today, the whole of the African continent faces a very unique set of healthcare challenges. In most western countries, the diseases that historically killed the largest numbers were infectious diseases such as the plague, cholera, and measles. With the introduction of antibiotics, immunizations, and good quality primary healthcare, however, many of these diseases have effectively been combated.