ABSTRACT
The way a country finances its health care system is a key determinant of the health of its citizenry. Selection of an adequate and efficient method(s) of financing in addition to organizational delivery structure for health services is essential if a country is set to achieve its national health objective of providing health for all. Health care in Nigeria is financed by tax revenue, out-of-pocket payments, donor funding, and health insurance (social and community). However, achieving successful health care financing system continues to be a challenge in Nigeria. This article examines the different financing mechanisms that have been used in Nigeria, including the National Primary Health Care Development Fund proposed for increasing the resource allocation to primary health care. It draws on available and relevant literature to provide an overview and the state of public health care financing in Nigeria. This article concludes by recommending the need for Nigeria to explore and strengthen other mechanisms of health system and shift focus from out-of-pocket payments, address the issues that have undermined public health care financing in Nigeria, improve on evidence-based planning, and prompt implementation of the National Health Bill when signed into law.
Keywords: Health care financing, Nigeria, Economic growth
INTRODUCTION
The first wealth of a nation is its health. There is empirical evidence that the health of a nation significantly enhances its economic development, and vice versa. HIV/AIDS, maternal mortality, under-5 mortality, malaria, and tuberculosis have undermined development and impoverished many developing nations such as Nigeria. Nonetheless, it has been enunciated that the pursuit of better health should not await an improved economy; rather measures to improve health will themselves contribute to economic growth. The way a country finances its health care system is a key determinant of the health of its citizenry. Selection of an adequate and efficient method(s) of financing in addition to organizational delivery structure for health services is essential if a country is set to achieve its national health objective of providing health for all.
A health care financing system involves the means in which funds are generated, allocated, and utilized for health care. It has three basic functions of collecting revenues, pooling resources, and purchasing services. The commonly used mechanisms for implementing these functions include tax-based financing, out-of-pocket payments, donor funding, and health insurance (social and private). These methods are not mutually exclusive. In fact, most health systems adopt a mixture of various methods. The success of the different health financing methods can be measured by the overall effect on equity of access and health outcomes, revenue generation and efficiency, and the effects on user behavior and provider.
DISCLAIMER: All project works, files and documents posted on this website, UniProjectTopics.com are the property/copyright of their respective owners. They are for research reference/guidance purposes only and some of the works may be crowd-sourced. Please don’t submit someone’s work as your own to avoid plagiarism and its consequences. Use it as a reference/citation/guidance purpose only and not copy the work word for word (verbatim). The paper should be used as a guide or framework for your own paper. The contents of this paper should be able to help you in generating new ideas and thoughts for your own study. UniProjectTopics.com is a repository of research works where works are uploaded for research guidance. Our aim of providing this work is to help you eradicate the stress of going from one school library to another in search of research materials. This is a legal service because all tertiary institutions permit their students to read previous works, projects, books, articles, journals or papers while developing their own works. This is where the need for literature review comes in. “What a good artist understands is that nothing comes from nowhere. All creative work builds on what came before. Nothing is completely original.” - Austin Kleon. The paid subscription on UniProjectTopics.com is a means by which the website is maintained to support Open Education. If you see your work posted here by any means, and you want it to be removed/credited, please contact us with the web address link to the work. We will reply to and honour every request. Please notice it may take up to 24 – 48 hours to process your request.
