The Civil Society for Malaria Control, Immunization and Nutrition, ACOMIN, in Ogun State has decried that challenges ranging from shortages of health workers to empty drug shelves and leaking roofs, among others, threaten the quality delivery of HIV, TB, and malaria services in Primary Healthcare Centers, PHCs.
They opined that to move these shortages toward sustainable solutions, all stakeholders must get involved, act decisively, and collaborate in strengthening Nigeria’s community health system.
The ACOMIN State Secretary, Akintayo Akinpelu, asserted that inadequate staffing remains one of the most significant barriers to quality healthcare, maintaining that this has led to fatigue, burnout, unruly attitudes toward patients, and inconsistent service delivery.
He stated this during a media meeting on the Global Fund Malaria community-led monitoring projects held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
Akinpelu insisted that governments at all levels must prioritize health systems by recruiting and retaining qualified health workers, ensuring a consistent supply of HIV, TB, and malaria commodities, and renovating and expanding dilapidated facilities.
He said, “The impact is not abstract; it is felt daily in the lives of mothers who walk long distances only to find no nurse on duty, patients turned away due to stock-outs, and communities losing confidence in their local health systems.
“Many primary health centres operate with only one or two staff who must cover day and night shifts, leading to fatigue, burnout, unruly attitudes toward patients, and inconsistent service delivery. The absence of security personnel also exposes facilities to theft and vandalism.
“In the current and previous quarters, several facilities reported shortages of HIV test kits, antimalarial drugs, and rapid diagnostic tools, forcing patients to seek care elsewhere or abandon treatment altogether. Ageing buildings with cracked walls, leaking roofs, and inadequate ventilation pose safety risks for both patients and healthcare providers. In some facilities, there are no functional toilets, power supply, or storage spaces for drugs.”
Akinpelu called for a strategic partnership between the private sector, government, and civil society to sponsor staff welfare initiatives, supply essential medical commodities, and support the refurbishment of healthcare infrastructure.
In her remarks, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Olatunji, the state coordinator of ACOMIN, argued that treatment for malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis is free, adding that they have been working with the community development associations (CDAs) and ward development committees (WDCs) attached to each health center, but need the collaboration of community leaders.
“We’ve been working with the CDAs and WDCs; they know every routine in the center, including what drugs are to be paid for and what are not, but we still need to work with the community leaders.
“We have over 500 health centers, and the Global Fund is supporting 321. These centers are supposed to provide malaria treatment, HIV, and TB for free. The only thing they can ask for is maybe the card fee, but everything else must be free,” she added.
Olatunji explained that these leaders can foster behavioral change, dispel myths about healthcare services, and advocate for improved government and partner investments in health facilities.