• Super Admin
• 08 Mar, 2026

Health experts have warned that the escalating Iran-United States conflict will directly worsen Nigeria's health funding gaps, putting critical programmes like HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, immunisation, and maternal health at greater risk due to potential support cuts. They stressed that as the prolonged conflict consumes substantial resources, external funding to low- and middle-income countries, including Nigeria, will suffer, stating that this growing economic burden will exacerbate reductions in global health funding. In exclusive interviews with PUNCH Healthwise, the experts noted that with the closure of the Middle East due to the conflict, importation of drugs from China and India will become difficult, driving up costs while funding shrinks. They called on the Federal and state governments to increase budgetary allocation to the health sector, improve budget performance, and ensure accountability and transparency at all levels of governance to mitigate the impact. On February 28, Israel and the United States of America began a series of strikes against Iran over the latter's nuclear and ballistic missiles program. Reports show that the war is disrupting global shipping, impacting oil, fertilisers, and plastics, with a jump in oil prices to $84 per barrel from below $70 days before the airstrikes began. PUNCH Healthwise earlier reported that the escalating tensions have led to an increase in the price of petrol, with the Dangote refinery increasing its price from N774 to N874. With no sign of the conflict easing and about 780 people already reported killed in Iran, the disruption is expected to drive up drug prices and further strain global health funding. Already, the funding cuts by the Donald Trump administration in January 2025 are affecting many health services in the country, which are largely funded by donors. In the wake of the funding crisis, PUNCH Healthwise reported that experts warned Nigeria's heavy reliance on donor support could trigger a rise in HIV, tuberculosis and malaria infections, urging the immediate mobilisation of domestic resources. In August 2025, the United Nations Children's Fund stated that it faced a $160 million funding gap for crucial humanitarian aid in Nigeria. The funding crisis also took its toll on HIV treatment as hospitals in the country are currently out of much-needed test kits, and People Living with HIV have lamented the rationing of their life-saving medications. The scarcity of the kits, experts had told PUNCH Healthwise, slowed down community testing, further impeding efforts to achieve the 95-95-95 global target to end AIDS by 2030. Although the Federal Executive Council approved N4.8bn for 150,000 HIV treatment packs and the Federal Government allocated an additional $200m to the health budget to cushion the impact of the cuts, the effects of the funding crisis are still being felt across the country. Commenting on the matter, a Professor of Public Health at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, Tanimola Akande, stated that war at the level of the countries involved can be very costly, gulping billions of dollars, which will sadly reduce external funding to low- and middle-income countries. He stated, "War, particularly at the level of the countries involved in the current war, can be very costly, gulping billions of dollars. This will sadly reduce external funding by those countries on low- and middle-income countries. It is difficult to predict how long the war will last. The longer it lasts, the more the economic effect on the countries and therefore the more the reduction in global health funding." The consultant public health physician noted that the funding gaps in the health sector as a result of the withdrawal of donor support by the US is already a challenge, adding that the conflict will further worsen the situation. The former National Chairman of the Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria further stated that Nigeria will need to increase budgetary allocation to the health sector, noting that there is also the direct effect of the war on the economy of many nations. Akande added that Nigerians are already experiencing increases in the prices of petrol, with effects on commodities. On the risk of further funding cuts to health programmes, the expert stated that "there is no doubt that the conflict will lead to more funding cuts to developing nations, which will adversely affect HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, immunisation, and maternal health intervention programmes in Nigeria." He urged the government to be ready to provide funds to reduce the funding gap, stressing that domestic resource mobilisation is very important and the efficient use of resources is critical. Akande called for increased budgetary allocation, significant improvement in budget performance, and accountability and transparency at all levels of governance."The government must be ready to provide funds to reduce the funding gap. Domestic resource mobilisation is very important, and efficient use of resources is also critical. "Budgetary allocation needs to be increased. Budget performance needs to improve significantly. There must be accountability and transparency at all levels of governance," he asserted. A Tuberculosis and TB/HIV Specialist, and former Principal Investigator, AIDS Prevention Initiative Nigeria at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Dr Dan Onwujekwe, stated that resources will be diverted, noting that even before the shooting started, the US President had reduced funding support for poorer countries for health programmes. He stated that the conflict will aggravate the situation and cause a lot of economic turbulence. Onwujekwe noted that funding for drugs will be affected, adding that if Nigeria had moved ahead and begun the local production of some essential drugs, the country would only need to source raw materials and package them for local use. He stated, "Some of the things we need will be funding for drugs. If we have moved ahead and have produced some of these drugs here, I think we will be able to source the raw materials only, and we'll package them here for our own use, like HIV drugs, TB drugs, and drugs for hepatitis B. But we import all these drugs." The expert warned that even if Nigeria has funds, importation from overseas will soon become difficult because the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean will be full of warships and missiles. He stated that planes cannot fly directly from China or India, where these drugs are made, straight to Nigeria, adding that they will have to stop over in the Middle East, which is now closed. Onwujekwe stated, "Now the Middle East is closed. So the costs will increase, the funding will shrink, the problems will be aggravated." Source: https://punchng.com/nigerias-health-funding-at-risk-as-iran-us-conflict-escalates/