Health in Niger
Thus, the health care system in Niger is one of the lowest ranked countries on the Human Development Index with financial, human-resource and geographical challenges.
Increased population growth has threatened to further overpower Niger's healthcare structure and its most susceptible communities.
[5] When looking at the right to health with respect to children, Niger achieves 94.8% of what is expected based on its current income.
[5] In regards to the right to health amongst the adult population, the country achieves 100.0% of what is expected based on the nation's level of income.
[6] Globally, Niger has one of the poorest economies and thus, experiences constant periods of severe droughts that abate its food resources.
Furthermore, Niger's history of political uncertainty and corruption have added to the country's poor standard of social, health, and welfare conditions.
[8] Medical facilities are limited in both supplies and staff, with a small government healthcare system supplemented by private, charitable, religious, and Non-government organisation operated clinics and public health programs (such as Galmi Hospital near Birnin Konni and Maradi).
A number of private for profit clinics ("Cabinets Médical Privé") operate in Niamey and other cities.
While this is significant, it is below half the 6.4% annual rate required to attain the global sustainable development goal of 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.
Though Niger health expenditure per capita fluctuated substantially in recent years, it tended to increase through 2004 – 2018 period ending at 30 US dollars in 2018.
These indicators contribute to major challenges for the health system and such challenges are being complicated by the inequality in the delivery of health services, non-functional and non-existing referral and antithetical-referral system such as emergency obstetric and neonatal care, inadequacy in the quantity and quality of healthcare human resources particularly midwives, gynecologists, and obstetricians, deficiency in the circulation of personnel, and scarce equipment, health structures and training institutions.
The above figures shows the total top 10 causes of deaths and DALYs (Disability Adjusted Life Years) from 2009 to 2019 in Niger.
This results to the high risk of disease outbreaks due to lack of healthcare resources, poor sanitation, and restricted access to safe and clean water.
[17] A report by the National Malaria Strategic Plan showed that between 2014 and 2015, under-five children accounted for approximately 3/5 of the burden of disease, that is, 62% and about 3/4 of malaria-related mortality in Niger, that is 74%.
[17] Niger is one of the 26 countries within the belt of sub-Saharan Africa susceptible to seasonal outbreaks of Neisseria meningitidis: a meningococcal bacterial meningitis.
The 2009 West African meningitis outbreak resulted in several thousand infections and more than one hundred deaths.
[22] WHO has prioritized the implementation of vaccines that can prevent bacterial meningitis globally, especially those targeting young children.
Sporadic outbreaks in Nigerien communities were found to have occurred beginning at the end of the rainy season, when many rural populations begin seasonal migration pattern, with traveling children often missing their vital second immunization booster against the disease.
[27] 2008 estimates ranged from 44,000 to 85,000 people living with HIV in a nation of around 14 million, with an adult (aged 15 to 49) prevalence rate of between 0.6% and 1.1%.
[33][34] Climate change in form of regular incidences of droughts, storms, heatwaves and floods is a menace on the health and sanitation sector.
In Niger, some main health issues are morbidity and mortality via vector-borne diseases like malaria; water-borne diseases such as cholera, diarrhea, measles, meningitis, respiratory infections related to severe weather conditions for example flooding and injuries, and also climate impacts on food and water supply which can lead to an increases the risk of malnutrition and hunger.
[35] Furthermore, there is an expectation that climate change will have an effect on the periods of malaria spread and the geographic areas of vector-borne diseases.
