COVID‐19 calls for health systems strengthening in Africa: A case of Nigeria

Elebesunu, Emmanuel Ebuka; Oke, Gabriel Ilerioluwa; Adebisi, Yusuff Adebayo; Nsofor, Ifeanyi McWilliams

The COVID‐19 pandemic has proven the need for countries worldwide to implement strategies that promote health systems strengthening and ensure epidemic preparedness. Many African countries are burdened by fragile healthcare systems, hence, this paper emphasises the need for African policymakers to improve healthcare quality in their countries. Through a brief review of various online literatures concerning health systems strengthening in Africa, this paper focuses on the nature of healthcare in Nigeria amidst the COVID‐19 pandemic. The major stress areas include COVID‐19 testing capacity, health workforce, infection prevention and control, health information and surveillance systems, health insurance, public‐private partnerships, and governance. The COVID‐19 pandemic has amplified several challenges ravaging Africa's already fragile healthcare systems, leaving the health sectors of most African countries ill‐prepared to deal with the pandemic. If Nigeria and many other African countries had invested sufficiently in strengthening their healthcare systems prior to COVID‐19, their pandemic response efforts would have been more effective. Health systems strengthening is necessary to ensure steady progress toward universal health coverage and global health security. Through health systems strengthening, Nigeria and other African countries can greatly improve their infection prevention and control measures.