'Corruption Threatens Health-Related MDG'

Serious challenges face Nigeria's efforts to achieve its Millennium Development Goals in health through multi-sector collaboration under the aegis of West African Health Organisation, health minister Christian Chukwu has said.

Speaking at events marking 24th WAHO Day in Abuja, Chukwu said achieving MDGs suffered from "lack of effective mechanisms for integrating multisectoral actions at all tiers of government on health, lack of monitoring and evaluation of actions aimed at achieving the MDGs."

Chukwu, represented by health permanent secretary Linus Awute, also said implementation of MDGs has been characterised by "deeply entrenched corruption, gross inefficiency and wastefulness" as well as unhealthy competition leading to duplication of effort.

Along with the health ministry, at least others make up the intersector collaboration team whose work will impact goals to reduce infant mortality, improve maternal healthcare and combat HIV/AIDS. They include the ministries of education, power, water resources, works, environment as well as information and communication.

According to the health minister, collaboration with agriculture ministry helped reduce the proportion of underweight children from 35.7% in 1990 to 23.1%, while collaboration with water and environment ministries helped cut deaths in children under age five from 201 deaths per 100,000 in 2003 to 157 per 100,000.

Former health minister Eyitayo Lambo, who spoke at the event, said a multisector effort involving all sectors of society, all levels of government, business and civil society organisations and communities was indispensable.

He said even though Nigeria was on the right track to attaining MDGs by 2015, the country was still far off.

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