StatiSense ® - Wale Micaiah ©

Health Index:The Health of

Nigerians

According to UNICEF; Life expectancy of Nigerians at birth (years) in 2010 was 51. Falls short of Ghana’s (59.6); Malaysia’s (74.2); Brazil’s (72.5); Saudi Arabia’s (70.9), and misery-prone Haiti’s (59.1).

World Economic Forum in its Global Competitive Index ranks Nigeria 140 of 142 countries in Health and Primary Education. This statistically implies there are less healthy people in Nigeria compared to the rest of the World.

The health of the Citizens determines greatly the Wealth of the Nation. How can we explain this if the governing class seek medical attention abroad while the governed are left to their fate?

Do we have fewer people showing interest in studying Medical courses or it is just one of those gray areas of governance (like Power – Electricity) that the dividend of democracy is yet to come to bare for the masses?

This study is undertaken to reveal the root cause of the present state of Nigeria health sector using JAMB 2012 applicants’ choices.

Methodology of Study:

JAMB 2011 and 2012 data will be used for analysis; with application for Medicine & Surgery as subject of focus. Admission data from some schools will also be used to calculate statistics of interest as itemized below:

- How much interest is shown by Applicant’s to study Medicine & Surgery?

- What is the of Application to Admission ratio / % ?- What is the estimate Doctors to Patients ratio?

Medicine & Surgery as Course of Study

2011: Medicine & Surgery Applicants

Institution ABU OAU UNN UNILAG UNIBEN UNIPORT UI UNILORIN UNICAL NAU UNIMAID UDUSCount 12,273 8,674 8,549 7,949 7,821 7,614 7,107 6,516 5,158 4,426 4,270 4,088

Institution BAYERO UNIJOS UNIUYO LAUTECH DELSU AAUA UNAD BSU NDU KSA ABSU UNIABUJACount 4,057 3,774 3,147 2,766 2,341 1,763 1,734 1,448 1,273 1,232 1,108 819

Institution EVANS EBSU OSUN LASU OOU ESUTECH GSU MADONNA BOWEN BINGHAM IGBINEDONCount 817 775 738 735 404 351 274 202 195 85 47

Owner TotalFederal 15Private 4State 16

Medicine & Surgery as Course of Study

2012: Medicine & Surgery Applicants

Institution UNN OAU UNILORIN UNIBEN UNILAG UI ABU NAU UNICAL UDU UNIJOS BAYEROCount 10,131 9,184 8,694 7,932 7,878 7,628 6,773 5,914 5,535 4,871 4,270 4,244

Institution UNIUYO UNIPORT EVANS DELSU UNIMAID LAUTECH NDU ABSU KSU UNIABUJA BSU UNADCount 3,861 3,625 2,858 2,642 2,566 2,281 2,104 1,801 1,590 1,533 1,271 1,241

Institution AAUA OSUN EBSU LASU OOU ESUTECH ANSU MADONNA BOWEN IGBINEDION AFECount 1,137 880 773 668 607 562 312 308 271 75 17

Total ApplicantsNo. Year Total Count1 2011 114,5302 2012 116,037

With a population of approximately 158,000,000 (2011) and 160,000,000 (2012), assuming all that applied to study Medicine & Surgery were admitted:

No. Year Total Count Doctor: Patient1 2011 114,530 1 : 13802 2012 116,037 1 : 1379

*In reality, an extrapolated population figure of Nigeria in 7years time should be used with this JAMB figures – more so that Nigeria education system is unpredictable

JAMB Application and Admission ratio (2000 – 2007)

ApplicationFACULTY 2000 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007Medical Sciences 73,388 150,679 170,813 161,755 146,306 165,693Total applicants 416,381 994,380 1,132,392 916,371 803,472 911,653

AdmissionFACULTY 2000 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007Medical Sciences 3,862 3,844 7,225 5,071 6,066 7,138Total admitted 45,766 51,845 105,401 77,085 88,524 107,370

% of Medical Sciences AdmittedFACULTY 2000 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007Medical Sciences 5.26 2.55 4.23 3.13 4.15 4.31

Medical Sciences comprises of courses such as Dental Surgery, Nursing, Optometry, Physiology, Pharmacy, Radiography, Pharmacology, etc. Medicine & Surgery remains the most sought-after.

Nevertheless, the number of candidates admitted is a great distance from expected doctors fit to cater for the health challenges of Nigerians.

Case Study – Application : Admission ratio

On the average less than 4% of applicants are admitted to study Medicine & surgery yearly. By extrapolation; 4% of total applicants:

No. Institution Year Applicants Admitted % of Admitted1 UNILAG 2011 7,949 258 3.25%

2 BAYERO 2011 4,057 114 2.81%

3 UNN 2011 8,549 141 1.65%

No. Year Total Count 4% of Applicants1 2011 114,530 4,5812 2012 116,037 4,641

This implies less than 5,000 applicants are admitted yearly in the whole of Nigerian universities to study Medicine & Surgery

Recommended Doctors : Patient ratioThe World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 1:600 Doctor-Patient ratio. Nigeria is estimated to currently be on about 1:3500, Doctor-Patient ratio.

Recent strike by Doctors working under the Lagos State government has put the above Doctor-Patient ratio to question. See the data below:

Year 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2012

Doctors 307 375 468 645 806 875 788

Lagos Bureau of Statistics ,Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget (2010)

Lagos state is the most populated state and the commercial hub of Nigeria; with 788 Doctors for 18million people (beside Doctors working in private establishments), Doctor-Patient ratio is 1:22,843

If Lagos state goes by these figures, Imagine other less developed States!

Conclusion: Over 100,000 qualified applicants show interest in

studying Medicine & Surgery yearly, less than 5% are offered admission

Not all that are enrolled eventually graduate as Doctors

Some who graduated never practiced, so less medical doctors who graduate actually practice as Doctors

Universities cannot admit more than certain quota based on NUC policy

This is often due to lack of infrastructures in our Universities

The government spend less on Education, same with the Health sector

More Nigerian Doctors travel abroad to work because of better work environment and remuneration

Doctors go on strike like normal employees!!!

From all indication, the onus lies on

the Government – Federal, State and

Local. Funding Education appropriately

would increase the number of

applicants admitted to study Medicine

& Surgery which will also increase the

number of Medical Graduates as well

as reduce the Doctor-Patient ratio.Good health is basic to survival!

StatiSense ® - Wale Micaiah ©

Freely share, freely use and freely acknowledge the source – © Wale Micaiah

Data source:

- The World Economic Forum https://www.weforum.org/

- Lagos Bureau of Statistics, Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget (2010)

Analysis by: Wale Micaiahe: walegate@yahoo.comm: 08078001800b: walemicaiah.blog.comw. www.statisense.info