SDG-3: APPRAISING THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT POLICY DIRECTION AND IMPLEMENTATION ON PHYSICIANS’ WELLBEING

Love Ogbeyalu Charles Ukeagu

Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pharmacology, St George’s University, St George’s, Grenada.

Abstract

It is on record that the Nigerian government has implemented various policies and interventions to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG-3), which focuses on ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all. However, the country still faces significant health challenges, including high maternal and child mortality rates, infectious diseases, and inadequate healthcare infrastructure. This called for an appraisal of the Nigerian government’s policy direction, implementation and critical interventions in achieving SDG-3. The problem is that, despite efforts to improve healthcare, Nigeria’s healthcare system still faces significant challenges, including inadequate funding, low manpower, poor infrastructure, and unequal access to healthcare services. The study inquired if there is any policy of the Nigerian government that will suitably aid in achieving SDG-3 especially for Physicians’ duty and wellbeing? Using the qualitative method of criticism and the Health Policy Analysis Framework, this study reviewed existing literature on policy documents in Nigeria. The major findings indicated that while the Nigerian government has made frantic efforts at improving healthcare, there are significant gaps in policy implementation, funding, recruitment and access to healthcare services. The study also identified areas of strength, including the development of national health policies and programs and concluded that the Nigerian government’s policy direction, implementation and critical interventions have been inadequate in achieving SDG-3 thereby, putting a strain on the physician duty and wellbeing because of inadequate healthcare Infrastructure and manpower.

Keywords: Nigerian Government, Policy Direction, Sustainable Development Goal, Physicians Strain, Duty, Wellbeing.