Majority of the citizens say they went through the Covid-19 pandemic without the needed medical care and clean water from the government.
This revelation is according to a recent survey by Afrobarometer via a zoom meeting held by stakeholders all over the country yesterday.
According to the survey, only a significant minority of citizens live in zones with pipe-borne water and sewage systems.
The survey also revealed that only a significant proportion of the population had contact with public hospitals within the period and the previous year.
In many cases, the report says that aside the difficulty, many had to give bribe in order to obtain the needed healthcare, a troubling finding that has been consistent over the past four surveys.
The survey further shows that citizens’ approval ratings for government’s performance in providing water, sanitation services and improving basic health services have declined further.
This points to the need for urgent action, particularly in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Only three in 10 Nigerians (29%) live in zones served by a piped water system and 18% have sewage systems their homes can access. “Two-thirds (65%) live within walking distance of a health clinic.
“Close to six in 10 Nigerians (57%) say they went without enough clean water at least once during the previous year, a 17-percentage-point increase compared to 2017.
“Among respondents who had contact with a public health facility during the previous year, about four in 10 (38%) report difficulties in obtaining care and two in 10 (21%) say they had to pay a bribe,” part of the report indicates.
It noted that Round seven of the surveys were completed in up to 38 countries between 1999 and 2018 while Round 8 surveys in 2019/2021 are planned in at least 35 countries. Afrobarometer team in Nigeria, led by NOIPolls, interviewed 1,599 adult citizens of Nigeria in January-February 2020.
