The National Primary Health Care Development Authority (NPHCDA) said demand for primary health services in Nigeria had been driven by socio-cultural and geographic barriers, poor quality of care and low trust in the health system due to misinformation and misinformation. As a result, it is still in a sub-optimal state, he said.
NPHCDA Executive Director Faisal Shuaib said this yesterday in Abuja during the close-out and dissemination of the findings of the Strengthening Demand for Primary Health Care Services in Nigeria Project conducted by the agency in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Busara Centre for Behavioral Economics.
He said the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 exacerbated the situation by creating social restrictions and increasing public mistrust of the healthcare system.
He said, “This impacted health-seeking behaviours and further weighed down on demand for services, especially at the country’s primary health care and community levels.”
Shuaib noted that the implementation of the project’s first stage would commence in 2021 for two states – Niger and Gombe, which included funding for two years to cover start-up support.
Director of Community Health Services, NPHCDA, Chris Elemuwa, said the project helped raise awareness about the importance of accessing primary healthcare services and academic communities on the benefits of preventive healthcare.
He said this had resulted in a significant increase in the number of people accessing primary healthcare services.
Vice President of Busara Delivery and Partnerships in Projects, Francis Meyo, said: “The reality of human behaviour is that we don’t always act in our best interest.”
cc: Daily Trust Ng
