Lagos plans three-year primary healthcare overhaul amid population growth

Health authorities warn that population growth, malnutrition, workforce shortages, and disease outbreaks are increasing pressure on healthcare facilities. The Lagos State Primary Health Care Board conducted a three-day strategic planning workshop with support from the World Bank-backed IMPACT Project, involving chairmen of Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas. The plan aims to establish a baseline for primary healthcare services, identify infrastructure and workforce gaps, assign responsibilities, and provide a costed framework for investment over the next three years.

Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, emphasized that primary healthcare is central to meeting the needs of the state's growing population, noting that about 70 percent of healthcare delivery occurs at this level. He highlighted nutrition as an immediate concern, stating that about three in every 10 children in Lagos are affected by either undernutrition or overnutrition. The Permanent Secretary of the LSPHCB, Dr. Ibrahim Mustafa, described the planning exercise as a "turning point" for the state's primary healthcare system, aiming for a clear and practical roadmap.

The Executive Secretary of the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency, Dr. Victoria Egunjobi, stressed that functional primary healthcare facilities require more than just physical infrastructure, ne