COVID-19: Nigeria’s health system too fragile to withstand another outbreak – PTF warns

The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has warned that Nigeria’s healthcare system is so fragile and may not withstand the effect of another outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr Sani Aliyu, the National Coordinator of the PTF, made this known in the task force’s report presented to President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday at the State House.

According to Aliyu, it was one of the three key lessons that the country must learn from the experience with coronavirus in the last few months.

He noted that the government would urgently need to embark on a deliberate and action-oriented reform of the nation’s healthcare sector in order to manage this fragility.

“In summary, Your Excellency, there are 3 key lessons we must carry forward:

“Next year (2021) will be all about the COVID-19 vaccine. This is a huge challenge for the country and will require your leadership and continued commitment, Mr. President.

“All hands must be on deck to deliver and overcome the challenges of securing the supply of safe and effective vaccines, logistics and acceptance.

“Our health system has been challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic. The country’s health system is fragile and may not withstand the effect of a major outbreak of COVID-19 or other infections.

“There’s an urgent need for a carefully thought through and action-oriented reform of the health sector that’ll improve our health security and place the country in a better position to manage future health threats.

“However, it’s not over yet. A lot more work needs to be done to enable us to transition back to normal.

“I’m confident that working together and with your continued support, we’ll overcome this challenge once again,” he said.