 Welcome back to news now on plus TV Africa the speaker of the House of Representatives family by Javier Miller says that COVID-19 has exposed Nigeria's health institutions which necessitated some interventions from the House he said and that the National Assembly will continue to provide funds to strengthen the Nigerians health sector we're now being joined by a public affairs and our public health expert rather dr. to you remember one good evening to you doctor many thanks for joining us on the news all right now the speaker of the House of Representatives family by Javier Miller says COVID-19 pandemic exposed the nation's health sector which necessitated interventions would you say these has brought positive changes recently or not well again the COVID-19 exposure created a lot of understanding of how there of how bad our health system is but I have I have not convinced that we have learned the lesson in terms why am I saying this one we have seen a lot of movement of health workers including doctors nurses that bring scientists out of Nigeria even this during the COVID-19 exposure we have also seen a lot of strikes coming up regularly during the COVID-19 and we've seen if I witness at least three strikes from the national resident doctors even the budgets for health has not increased it has remained pitiable five percent so what lesson then have we learned we have you are there we have not seen that response in the funding of public health care centers all around the country the COVID-19 came the lesson we have not learned the further health system is going to be widened because the response the political response to the health gaps have not been have not been really really really wonderful all right I'm doctors indeed you've mentioned that we still have a long way to go vis-a-vis infrastructure and health and personnel among all that since we're still talking about the brining but recently the resident doctors are calling for an increase in budgetary allocation to the health sector specifically from five to 15 percent do you think of that is indeed enough or what more is required 15% allocation should be the minimum why do I say this we've lost a lot of ground in Nigeria you see now we're having all sort of endemic diseases last half ever meningitis we're having typhoid we have and then upon all these we're still having COVID-19 the amputation is there we're having shortage in terms of training of doctors people are not embracing science as it is and even the teaching hospitals are having shortage of funds 50% will just be the barest minimum that government can do we need to actually figure out and look for ways to raise the funding of health of health and how to really deliver the money appropriately to get the necessary result 50% should be the minimum I think Nigeria should go 50% all right doctor let's talk still on COVID-19 you know the pandemic and all before now we used to have the issue of you know vaccine and hesitancy and all of that but recently from a report that we are just I'm sore Nigerians said they are more confident in getting vaccinated after the federal government destroyed more than a million doses that way you know we're actually expired what does all of this tell us well again we know that at the beginning a lot of you were very hesitant about the but overtaking the vaccine but they must have seen a lot of you that took the vaccines and then the positive effects of the vaccine must be turning on Nigerians and then more people are embracing the vaccine but the huge problem is this we are just about 2.6 percent vaccinated fully vaccinated in the country and then we have just only 40 million people having one dose of the vaccine the vaccines are not really really available we are not able to wrap up vaccine supply to Nigeria you know and then of course as much as a 5% of the vaccines supply got expired from Malawi to Nigeria to South Africa so now it is good that the vaccine culture is getting improved that people are embracing the vaccine the government sees this initiative to ensure that vaccine is available in the requisite supply and affordable to the people whereby a state chose to put as much as 6,000 for a vision of vaccines in private hospitals it's not it's not good at all it will actually put that drug and prevent the deepening of vaccination in the country all right doctor just before we let you go in the world over there is this talk about them vaccine in equity you know right now you're talking for talking about them the need for Nigerians to get some more vaccines available what more do you really think it can be done to just actually strike a bit of a balance so Nigerians and indeed Africa can get some the vaccines that they need Nigeria essentially should have signed a contract manufacturing agreement with one of those approved vaccines and manufacture the vaccine locally if you don't manufacture vaccines locally how do you get supply and you can see that you know as the virus will take where the need for vaccines to come more important the only thing that can help us is not to wait for donation from from covert or donation from a way you are you but we should be able to manufacture vaccines at least in about three four countries in Africa in the north in the south and in the western part of Africa you have means of manufacturing those vaccines that can be deployed to people by waiting for donation that means that you have to wait for quite a long time and it's not too good for the for our Africa as a continent I thank you so much we have been speaking with some public health experts doctor three member wonder and we have been speaking about the exposure of the Niger's health sector to COVID-19 and all we need to do to ensure that Nigerians get vaccinated and on time to many times once again doctor maybe I won't do hello hope you enjoyed the news please do subscribe to our YouTube channel and don't forget to hit the notification button so 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