Leaders meet in New York for the 80th United Nations General Assembly. Obinna Ebirim, an advisor on youth health policy, asks African countries to push for fairer donor partnerships and to make their own leaders pay more attention to health spending.
Ebirim says donor aid helped fight malaria and HIV but heavy reliance creates problems when funding ends. He points to disruptions in HIV, TB, malaria and nutrition programmes, shortages of supplies, some hospitals cutting services, and health workers losing jobs. In Nigeria, overseas partners fund much of vaccination campaigns, disease surveillance and worker incentives. Nigeria has not met the Abuja Declaration target of 15 per cent; recent years show four to six per cent of the national budget for health.
Difficult words
- policy — A plan or course of action.policymakers
- finance — Management of large amounts of money.
- donor — A person or organization that gives money.donors
- health — The state of being free from illness.
- budget — An estimate of income and expenses.
- program — A planned series of activities.programs
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Why is reducing dependency on donors important for health systems?
- How can Nigeria improve its health budget?
- What challenges do countries face when trying to prioritize health finance?
Related articles
Father’s microplastic exposure affects offspring health
A mouse study found that when fathers were exposed to microplastics, their offspring developed metabolic problems. Female offspring showed diabetic signs and researchers linked the effect to changes in sperm small RNAs; the work was published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.
Report: Aggressive Formula Marketing Harms Child Health
A UN-linked report finds that wide and aggressive marketing of powdered baby milk (formula) is damaging child and maternal health. WHO and UNICEF say more breastfeeding could prevent many child and breast cancer deaths each year.
Some processed foods may be addictive
Researchers say many ultraprocessed products — like snacks, sugary drinks and fast food — share addictive qualities with tobacco. The study urges a shift from blaming individuals toward policies that hold companies accountable for engineered, habit-forming foods.
Targeting inflammation as a way to treat depression
A federally funded review and meta-analysis found that anti-inflammatory treatments reduced depressive symptoms and eased anhedonia in people with depression who had high inflammation. The drugs were not FDA-approved for depression and would be used off-label.
Brothers build magnetic system to remove arsenic
Arsenic in Indian groundwater causes serious health problems. Two brothers from Bihar developed METAL, a chemical-free magnetic way to clean water and built the MARU unit; their startup Navmarg has treated over 300,000 litres and plans sensors and AI.