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The relationship between democracy and health outcomes has been the focus of recent research interest. With an estimated 140 million people, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. In May 2007, it marked eight years of unbroken civilian government, the longest period of civilian rule in its post-independence history with the noticeably peaceful handover of power from President Obasanjo to President Yar’adua. These eight years of relative peace and democratic governance in Nigeria have seen changes in the economy with steady growth, a large reduction in external debt, and structural reforms of the financial and telecommunications sectors. These changes, however, have had little impact on the lives of ordinary Nigerians. In the health sector, progress has been slow and many challenges remain: from weak health systems to tackling HIV/AIDS; from improving immunization coverage (which in the past has impeded the global goal of eradicating polio) to implementing the new International Health Regulations (IHR); from achieving the Millennium Developmental Goals (MDGs) to preparing for pandemic flu. We examine the progress made and challenges faced from an infectious diseases perspective in Nigeria over the past eight years.

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2008-05-20   |   663 visitas   |   Evalua este artículo 0 valoraciones

Vol. 2 Núm.2. Abril 2008 Pags. 151-153. J Infect Developing Countries 2008; 2(2)