Ruby Rabiu
22 August 2007
The United Nations has expressed concern over Nigeria's inability to adequately provide healthcare for all its citizens by 2015 as projected by the Millenium Development Goals.
The United Nations expert on the right to attain health, Professor Paul Hunt, yesterday made this known while delivering a paper titled, "The Right to Health and the Millennium Development Goals," at the John D and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation International Lecture Series on Population Goals at the Shehu Yar'Adua Centre in Abuja.
Hunt stated that though the country had projected and shown greater commit-ment to meet the goals, recent data and research revealed that it would almost be impossible for MDGs to achieve it by 2015.
His words: "I am full of admiration for the vigour and determination with which Amina Ibrahim, the Senior Adviser to the President on the MDGs has tackled her extremely challenging task.
"However, it has to be said that there is still a very long way to go if all the goals are to be achieved in Nigeria by 2015.
"The data are especially alarming in the northeast and northwest of the country."
Hunt advised that for the country to make any reas-onable achievement in the health sector like making healthcare accessible to all, a lot of funds, commitments and dedication would have to be exhausted on health and other human rights issues.
He commended the goals of the MDG, saying that most of its agenda centres on health issues which would go a long way in contributing to the development of the country.
He called on the govern-ment to implement and put into good use, the various treaties which went ratified that encompass the right to the highest attainable standard of health,
"For example, the domestic incorporation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women would be a major advance," he added.
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