BY VICTOR OLUWASEYIFUNMI
Nigeria can’t achieve prevention without the right workforce.
On this World Health Day 2026, I write not just to commemorate, but to raise urgent national concern about the future of our health system.
Nigeria faces worsening realities: insecurity displacing communities, floods triggering disease outbreaks, a growing dual burden of infectious and non-communicable diseases and widespread nutritional deficiencies, especially among women and children. These are not isolated issues—they are symptoms of weak prevention systems.
We are first in Africa and sixth globally in tuberculosis prevalence and carry the second-highest HIV/AIDS burden worldwide. Non-communicable diseases are rising rapidly: over 10 million Nigerians live with diabetes, and nearly 128,000 new cancer cases are recorded annually, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer. These are undoubtedly preventable conditions. Yet, we remain trapped in a cycle of reaction instead of prevention.
At the centre of this crisis is a workforce imbalance. Nigeria’s doctor-to-patient ratio remains critically low, yet many doctors are diverted into public health and administrative roles that should be filled by public health professionals and healthcare administrators, respectively. Public health is multidisciplinary and requires comprehensive knowledge in epidemiology, surveillance, nutrition, health promotion, and community engagement rather than medical science, which mainly focuses on clinical care.
It is particularly concerning that universities across Nigeria continue to produce thousands of public health graduates annually, yet these individuals face poorly defined job placements, limited career pathways, and systemic exclusion from roles they are trained to fill. Many remain unemployed or underutilised, while their responsibilities are absorbed within existing structures. This reality contradicts the vision of the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr President, which prioritises jobs, growth, and wellbeing.
The lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic exposed serious gaps in emergency preparedness, workforce coordination and response systems. We cannot afford a repeat. Healthcare must function as a team effort, so doctors should focus on patient care, while public health professionals lead prevention and population health strategies.
Lagos and Delta states have taken a bold step to integrate the public health officer cadre into their workforce, which is in line with global best practices. This model should be scaled nationwide with federal leadership. As we mark World Health Day 2026, let this be a turning point—where Nigeria commits to prevention, workforce reform and a resilient health system.
This is not a clash of professions but a call for balanced
Not for competition but for coordination. The cost of inaction is too high
Victor Oluwaseyifunmi, ARISE, is a writer, author and a public health researcher
Views expressed by contributors are strictly personal and not of TheCable.
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