The Independence we want~ Healthy Independence (Nigeria @54)

It's that time of the year once more where a giant nation Nigeria, celebrates its Independence Day. Our journey of striving and sacrifice, corruption, great achievements and missed opportunities dotted with the threat of terrorism, yet we are sailing through the verge of new opportunities. As the nation celebrates its 54th Independence Day, there is a sense of pessimism that swirls the current state of affairs in the country. Be it the economic realities or the political discourse in our strong and influential country; the general impression is that positive things about the country are hardly heard in news discourse.

Hence the spirit of Independence Day is not just to celebrate our "officially becoming a country", it also boils down to celebrating the values that this great nation was founded upon. The independence declaration was constituted with the theory that every individual has inherent rights; which includes "right to good health". In other words every individual has a right to live healthy and the government is obligated to provide access to quality healthcare among other social amenities to its citizenry in a convenient environment and at affordable costs. A country's healthcare system is expected to gear its focus on health protection, promotion and prevention and the government's responsibility to achieve these objectives cuts across its different tiers. Presently, health care in Nigeria is a privilege because only people who are wealthy enough to pay for the services have access to medical care, hence, the essence of "right" is denied. However, guaranteeing access to and controlling the costs of health care is complex undertaking that is uncertain. But to successfully build Nigeria's health care, we must first realize that no health care system is perfect even the most developed countries, cos each health care system tries to meet certain priorities, and in doing so each has disadvantages and advantages. According to Barack Obama, "Health care is the economy," and fixing it would free up money for other priorities, such as education, industrial innovation and social amenities. Therefore, it is clear that both Health and Economic growth are fundamental determinants of the human right to "life": Poor health obviously shortens human life, and so does economic poverty.

In summary, let's all strive for a HEALTHY INDEPENDENCE rather than a "jolly"(merry) independence, by doing so, we are paying tribute to those who struggled for the freedom of our nation and those who laid down their lives for liberating our motherland. Let’s walk together to enable each other share the progress and prosperity of the nation. One Love, One Nigeria.