THE government has been urged to ensure that a publicly funded healthcare service is available to all irrespective of their social and economic status.
Speaking at the launch of a ‘Report on the Failure of Commercialized Healthcare During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Nigeria,” the Executive Director, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, (CAPPA), Akinbode Oluwafemi made this known to journalists.
According to Akinbode, the commercialisation of healthcare is not what Nigerians need. His words “It will only lead to costs that are not affordable for the poor and vulnerable”.
The report which was jointly launched by Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR), Justice & Empowerment Initiatives (JEI), and CAPPA exposes how the commercialization of healthcare in Nigeria is among the main factors undermining the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria, with harmful impacts on the right to health.
“Widespread commercialization and privatisation of healthcare services stand in the way of realisation of the right to health in Nigeria. Public healthcare systems are more resilient to shocks such as pandemics and are thus fundamental for the realisation of the right to health,” said Program Officer, GI-ESCR, Rossella De-Falco.
Source: The Nation
