30 Jun Bridging The Gap: Addressing Healthcare Inequality between Urban and Rural Nigeria

Leonor Mellado Mannaerts

School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs, IE University, Madrid, Spain

E-mail: lmellado.ieu2023@student.ie.edu.

Abstract

Access to healthcare is a fundamental aspect of human development and essential to leading a dignified and fulfilled life. However, this is not the case in most countries as health inequalities persist. Health inequalities are shaped by factors such as poverty levels and education. In the case of Nigeria, disparities in income inequality are closely linked to the rural and urban divide which affects equal access to healthcare services. This article examines how Nigeria’s healthcare system exacerbates inequalities due to its dependence on households’ out-of-pocket payments and how it disproportionately serves urban populations. It also assesses government policies such as the National Health Insurance Act and projects completed through public-private partnerships to increase access to hospitals and other health services. In order to improve equal access to healthcare across Nigeria, policy recommendations prioritize reducing the financial hardship of rural households and strengthen the infrastructure of facilities through equitable allocation of funds.

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Keywords: Sustainable Development Goal 10, Health Inequality, Urban-rural Divide, Economic Growth