Nigeria is grappling with a significant shortage of public health physicians, a challenge experts say is rooted in the wider deficit of medical doctors across the country.
Dr. Terfa Kene, President of the Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria, highlighted the concern during an interview in Abuja, noting that the gap reflects broader workforce constraints affecting healthcare delivery nationwide.
He explained that the limited number of doctors directly affects the production of specialists, including public health physicians who play a crucial role in disease prevention and community-based care.
According to him, public health physicians are trained medical doctors who work beyond hospitals, engaging communities and coordinating interventions that improve overall health outcomes.
Kene noted that professionals in this field are found across universities, local governments, state institutions, federal agencies, and non-governmental organisations, underscoring the wide scope of their responsibilities.
He pointed out that shortages at the grassroots level have forced the system to rely on task shifting, where community health workers take on roles typically handled by medical officers due to insufficient personnel.
The APHPN president also said the country is not producing enough specialists to meet demand, while ongoing migration of healthcare workers continues to weaken the system as many seek better opportunities abroad.
He added that determining the exact number of public health physicians in Nigeria remains difficult due to gaps in data and differences in professional classification, although the association itself has over 3,000 registered members.
Kene stressed that public health physicians are central to policy formulation, implementation, and emergency response efforts, particularly during disease outbreaks at all levels of governance.
He further revealed that the association is pursuing innovation-driven initiatives aimed at improving collaboration, efficiency, and service delivery within the sector.
As part of these efforts, plans are underway to establish a national secretariat and residential facility to support members and strengthen coordination among practitioners.
The project, he said, is also expected to incorporate telemedicine services to expand access to healthcare in underserved and remote communities.
He called on individuals and organisations to support the initiative through funding and partnerships, noting that stronger investment in the workforce is essential to improving healthcare access and outcomes across the country.