Unlocking Healthcare’s Digital Potential: The Case for Digital Literacy in Nigeria’s Path to Universal Health Coverage

Digital literacy has the potential to accelerate universal health access and improve health outcomes in resource-limited settings like Nigeria. It has a profound impact on both the demand and supply sides of the healthcare system.

The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, recently announced plans to roll out a National Electronic Medical Records Platform nationally. This is a significant step towards leveraging technology to improve healthcare outcomes for all Nigerians and strengthen accountability, another focus of his administration.

Digital literacy which refers to the knowledge and skills required to effectively utilize digital technologies and the internet to access, create, and use information, might just be the key to achieving universal healthcare coverage in a rapidly digitising world.

On the demand side, digital literacy empowers individuals to access health information and services, enabling them to make informed decisions. This is particularly vital in regions with limited physical access to healthcare facilities.

As more individuals become adept at utilising digital tools and resources, they can access information about their health conditions, treatments, and medicines, and communicate with healthcare providers, even through telemedicine platforms.

Empowering individuals to take control of their health by utilising digital tools is instrumental in improving health outcomes.

Digital tools also enhance the health system’s supply side. They improve healthcare service quality, communication between healthcare workers, data storage and access, healthcare worker training, planning, and administrative efficiency.

Solutions like electronic medical records (EMR) streamline information sharing, reducing medical errors and improving patient care.

Moreover, software applications automate administrative tasks, cutting costs and allowing healthcare providers to focus on delivering care.
With Nigeria being the most populous black country in the world, having over 200 million citizens, the need for digital literacy has never been more urgent.

It’s worth noting that 63 per cent of Nigeria’s population is under the age of 25, the digital age yet, only 55.4 per cent of the country’s population uses the internet.

According to the 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) & National Immunization Coverage Survey (Nics), only 34.6 per cent of households have access to the internet with an urban-rural access disparity of 51 per cent in urban areas vs 20 per cent in rural areas.

In addition to geographical disparities, there is gender disparity, which is a critical factor in accessing healthcare as women remain the primary caregivers for children and their households therefore the health of the family, and that of children are dependent on the woman, her ability to access services, and the state of her own health.

In a situation where only 13.4 per cent of women 15- 49 years old have ever used a computer and only 24 per cent ever used the internet, vs 21.8 per cent and 41.6 per cent respectively for men, an increase in digitisation of the health system could inadvertently have a negative outcome if deliberate efforts to improve digital literacy and access to digital tools while using a gender lens are not made. If done right and barriers to digital literacy are reduced or eliminated, the potential for improved health outcomes is limitless.

Healthcare programs like Immunisation stand to gain from increased digitisation. At a time when vaccine hesitancy is increasing and outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases are recurrently occurring, accessible data on immunisation can drive improved planning, transparency, leadership, and governance.

Geomapping of vaccine-hesitant communities, communities with disease outbreaks, vaccine availability and stock out, can aid in tailored program design especially when the data is hyperlocal, zooming in on communities.

The potential of digital literacy and the adoption of digital solutions to enhance healthcare systems is clear, but it’s essential to acknowledge that it’s not a panacea for all healthcare challenges.

To realise its full benefits, barriers such as limited access to technology, high cost of devices and access to services, and the need for training and support must be addressed collaboratively by healthcare providers, policymakers, and technology companies.

In summary, while the digitalisation of medical records is a laudable initiative, we must also invest in increasing digital literacy rates. This can be done by strengthening the ICT curriculum and increasing access to tools, especially in public schools.

The digital health market is projected to grow significantly, and Nigeria should ensure that its human resources for health can meet the demands of this evolving landscape. As digital literacy increases, individuals become empowered, leading to heightened demand for healthcare services, greater progress toward universal health coverage, and improved health outcomes.

This must however be done with the deliberate lens of equality and gender. This is the path to a healthier and more resilient Nigeria.

Dr Amenze Eguavoen, Programmes Manager, NSSF
Writes from Lagos