Can Nigeria’s fragile Health System tackle the recent Anthrax emergence? A narrative review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60787/tnhj-24-1-777Keywords:
Zoonoses, Disease Outbreaks, One Health, Nigeria, AnthraxAbstract
Background: Nigeria’s healthcare system grapples with systemic inadequacies which potentiate the inadequate management of infectious disease outbreaks. This is concerning as Anthrax, a neglected zoonotic disease emerged in 2023.
Objectives: This paper aims to review the weaknesses in the country’s healthcare system and propose solution for Anthrax mitigation, drawing lessons from past polio, COVID-19, Ebola outbreaks.
Methodology: A preliminary search was conducted on Ovid Medline and public databases with combination of Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) keywords, resulting in 173 articles. Five authors screened the articles based on selection criteria (including language, year of publication, relevance, and peer-review). Using a nonsystematic approach, a narrative synthesis was used to analyse and discuss the results from 29 selected studies.
Result: Nigeria’s health system is grappling a myriad of challenges significantly impacting the nation’s healthcare landscape. These challenges include accessibility to care, inequitable distribution of health services and health workers, catastrophic spending for healthcare, physician emigration, frequent industrial disputes, insecurity, and underfunding. Additionally, there are issues with inadequate disease surveillance infrastructure, while limited veterinary services and poor animal husbandry practices increase the potential for zoonotic disease outbreaks.
Conclusion: The review underscores the potential for Nigeria to effectively address the challenges of Anthrax and mitigate its impact on human and animal populations. Strengthening disease surveillance, increasing research funding, and raising public awareness are crucial. Targeted vaccinations, isolation facilities, treatment protocols, and collaboration among healthcare professionals, government, and international organizations are essential. The study recommends practical strategies and legislation to ensure human and animal safety.
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