The necessity for a health systems reform in Nigeria.

The health system in Nigeria is structured along the now universal three levels of the primary secondary and tertiary levels of care. The system is run concurrently such that all the three levels of government - local regional/state and national/federal even though they hold primary responsibility for only one level of the system each can exceed it and provide services at any of the other two levels of care. One of the effects of this fluid system in the face of the many social and infrastructural problems facing the nation is that the pursuit of the politically attractive tertiary health care can remain the only attractive area of the health system to the detriment of the other levels of care. The neglect of the primary health care system its maldistribution as well as the secondary health care will result in an inverted health care pyramid. This will not produce any health for the people but will always have the threat to collapse on itself. (excerpt)