By ABUJAH RACHEAL

Three and a half years after a landmark Lancet report revealed that nearly half the world?s population lacked access to basic diagnostic tools, new efforts are emerging to tackle the inequity.

Progress, however, remains uneven, especially for low-income countries like Nigeria.

The study said that in 2021, the Lancet Commission on Diagnostics sounded the alarm that 47 per cent of the global population had little to no access to basic diagnostics.

It said that the figure had risen to 81 per cent in low- and lower-middle-income countries.

It said that the gap, crippling timely detection and treatment of diseases such as tuberculosis, diabetes, and cancer, was made tragically visible during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Efforts like the African Collaborative Initiative to Advance Diagnostics and India?s Free Diagnostics Service Initiative have shown that expanding diagnostic access is possible when governments prioritise it.

These initiatives have improved the availability of laboratory testing in primary health centres, and offer Nigeria a model for localised replication.

Renowned virologist and public health expert, Prof. Oyewale Tomori, urged Nigeria to domesticate these global successes.

?Diagnostics are foundational, without them, our entire health response is reactive, not preventive,? Tomori said.

He said that in spite of its large disease burden, Nigeria remains heavily reliant on donor-driven or private-sector diagnostics.

?According to WHO, over 60 per cent of primary healthcare facilities in Nigeria lack basic diagnostic capabilities such as malaria rapid test kits, haemoglobin testing, or basic imaging,? he said.

According to Dr. Gabriel Adakole, a public health physician and global health advocate, if we want to make UHC meaningful, diagnostics must be made free and accessible at the primary health care level,

Adakole said that the launch of the WHO-led Global Diagnostics Coalition could offer a turning point.

?It aims to unite global stakeholders to fund, coordinate and drive equitable access to diagnostics, an area long overshadowed by pharmaceuticals,? he said.

Prof. Susan Horton, lead author of the Commission, said that diagnostics were the bedrock of a functioning health system.

According to her, treatment without proper diagnosis is simply educated guesswork.

Horton said that in spite of momentum, key recommendations remain stalled, especially those requiring workforce investments and technologies adapted for conflict zones and rural environments.

?Affordability remains a barrier even in richer countries, pointing to the need for global solidarity,? she said.

Dr. Aminu Ibrahim, a public health policy expert said that Nigeria needed to act decisively to close the diagnostic gap.

According to Ibrahim, first, we must allocate a dedicated budget line for diagnostics within the Basic Health Care Provision Fund.

?Without consistent funding, we are just paying lip service to Universal Health Coverage.

?We also need a clear national diagnostics strategy that aligns with our UHC roadmap.

?It is not enough to respond in silos, diagnostics must be integrated into every part of our health planning,? he said.

As the Lancet report argued, diagnostics are not just tools, they are gatekeepers of health equity.

Experts urge Nigeria to prioritise diagnostics as a human right, not a commodity.

Dr. Jumoke Mark, a Nigerian policy advisor, said that diagnostics should not be a luxury.

?They are the first step to closing the health inequality gap,? Mark said. (NAN)

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