LASG charts new path for stronger primary healthcare

The Lagos State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Primary Health Care (PHC) as the foundation for achieving universal health coverage and positioning the state as a leading medical tourism destination in Nigeria.

This commitment was reiterated at a one-day Joint Leadership Dialogue with the theme: “Strengthening PHC Systems: A Joint Leadership Dialogue,” convened by the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board (LSPHCB) brought key stakeholders, including local government chairpersons, policymakers, development partners, and health sector leaders.

Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, painted a candid picture of Lagos’ healthcare challenges and ambitions.

He discloses that Lagos currently has about 50 hospital beds per 100,000 people, a figure far below global standards, while maternal and infant mortality rates, malnutrition, and low health insurance coverage remain critical concerns.

According to him, data shows that four out of every 10 children in Lagos suffer from some form of malnutrition, while nearly 20 per cent of residents live with hypertension, most of them unaware of their condition.

He stressed that weak primary healthcare systems have led many residents to bypass PHC facilities in favour of informal healthcare providers, often with grave consequences.

He said, “Primary healthcare is the first point of contact and medical intervention in any state. If we follow WHO recommendations, Lagos needs at least 2,4000 additional PHCs to adequately serve its rapidly growing population of over 30 million.”

To address human resource gaps, the commissioner announced the establishment of a standalone University of Medicine and Health Sciences in Lagos, aimed at significantly increasing the production of doctors and other health professionals.

“Nigeria currently has about 40,000 doctors against an estimated need of 300,000, while Lagos alone requires about 33,000 but has only about 7,000,” he said.

He also highlighted major reforms in health financing, including the enforcement of mandatory health insurance following the domestication of the National Health Insurance Act. Through the ILERA EKO Social Health Insurance Scheme, the state hopes to scale coverage from about 1.5 million enrollees to the majority of its population.

Another major reform is the rollout of the Smart Health Information Platform (SHIP), a digital system designed to connect PHC, secondary, and tertiary facilities across the state, enabling real-time data for planning, monitoring, and early disease detection.

The Director of Medical Services and Disease Control at LSPHCB, Dr. Veronica Iwayemi, described the dialogue as a critical step toward aligning state health strategies with grassroots realities.

She emphasised that PHCs are often the only point of healthcare access for many Lagosians, making collaboration with local government leadership indispensable.

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The Permanent Secretary of the Board, Dr. Ibrahim Akinwunmi Mustafa, commended local governments that have invested in building and renovating PHC facilities but warned that infrastructure alone is not enough.

“A functional PHC is more than a building,” he said, stressing the need for staffing, equipment, security, water, power supply, and strong governance structures.

The Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development, Hon. Bolaji Robert, underscored the unique role of local governments in delivering people-centered healthcare, noting that effective PHC systems depend on strong community participation and accountability.

In her remarks, the Special Adviser on Health to the Governor, Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, charged local government chairmen to demonstrate strong political ownership of PHC under the PHC-Under-One-Roof framework, in line with the THEMES Plus Agenda of the administration.

She described the initiative of the LSPHCB as a catalyst for sustainable health reforms and charged Local Government Chairmen to meet counterpart funding obligations, strengthen collaboration with the Board, and ensure transparency in resource management.

EngenderHealth Country Director, Dr. Kabiru Atta, praised Lagos for its intentional investment in healthcare, particularly in human resources and funding, describing the state as being “on a clear journey toward a resilient primary healthcare system.”

Participants at the dialogue agreed that sustained collaboration, adequate financing, digital innovation, and strong political will at the grassroots are essential to building a resilient PHC system capable of improving health outcomes and delivering quality, affordable care to all Lagosians.