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QUALITY HEALTH FOUNDATION OF NIGERIA (QUALIHFON) is a registered, non-profit, non-governmental organization. Its aim is the improvement of the health status of all Nigerians through the promotion and institutionalization of the concept and principles of health care quality and within the context of health sector reform.
With a population of more than 160 million, Nigeria accounts for one out of every five African. In addition to its human resources, the country is well endowed with vast natural resources, the most prominent being crude oil and which accounts for its enormous wealth. This level of resources has however not been matched with the appropriate level of development. The long years of military rule in the eighties and nineties coincided with the general decline in the economies of most third world countries which was further aggravated by a massive external debt burden, various structural adjustment economic programs, and massive emigration of qualified manpower.
At the close of the twentieth century, the country had descended to a serious level of decay of its socio-economic infrastructure, including the health systems that in 2000, the country was ranked 187 out of 191 member states of the WHO in terms of the global performance of health systems. The performance of the health care system was reflected in the very poor health indices with unacceptably high rates of maternal, infant and child morbidity and mortality which was further compounded by a high HIV prevalence. The health care system and resources are highly fragmented, with very poor linkage between the primary and specialized levels of care. The result is t hat consumers, e especially the poor and illiterate have great difficulty in navigating through the system to seek quality, safe and affordable care.
With the restoration of democracy in 1999, the government soon embarked on various socio-economic reform measures, including a health sector reform agenda. Priority areas included better funding, improved access to care and revitalization of the health systems. The National Health Insurance scheme, which had been on the drawing boards for more than three decades, also received priority attention.
Experience has shown that most health sector reform programs often place a lot of emphasis on improved access and resource mobilization with a relative neglect in addressing issues of quality and consumer rights. The result is a health care system that is not responsive to the expectations of the consumer in terms of quality, especially in the public health sector.
The Nigerian health care system has not adequately responded to the expectations of the consumer in terms of quality, especially in the public sector. Although the issue of access to care needs to be addressed, it has been demonstrated that the major challenge still confronting the health care sector is not that of availability but the poor quality of available health care services. In addition, consumers, especially the poor and illiterate have great difficulty in navigating through a complex and uncoordinated system to seek quality, safe and affordable care. With the take-off of the National Health Insurance Scheme, it has become imperative that the issue of quality of care be addressed, particularly for those enrolled under the scheme.
QUALITY HEALTH FOUNDATION OF NIGERIA (QUALIHFON) provides a framework for partnership and linkage between health care consumers and providers in the public and private sectors, in ensuring that quality and safe care is provided for the population at an affordable cost. The organization recognizes that consumers have a critical role in ensuring that they have access to quality health care and therefore the need to empower them with the requisite knowledge and information necessary to demand for quality care at an affordable cost as well as make informed choice on use of available services.
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