CHORUS Paper: Informal–Formal Healthcare Services Delivery Nexus in Nigeria’s Urban Slums: A Reconnaissance Study
The CHORUS team at the University of Nigeria explored the relationships between the informal and formal healthcare services, how this relationship can be strengthening within urban slums in Enugu and Anambra States.
There is lower coverage from formal healthcare providers within urban slums, and the informal healthcare providers have a crucial role in bridging the gaps in service delivery for urban slum dwellers. As there is a higher coverage of informal services within the urban slums, these services can compete or co-operate with the formal providers.
The study aims to gain an insight into: (a) How the informal health services are situated within urban slums (b) What are the areas of collaborations and conflicts within and between formal and informal healthcare services providers in urban slums, and (c) What are the opportunities for strengthening collaborations between formal and informal healthcare services providers in urban slums.
The findings highlight that the relationship between informal and formal healthcare services is characterised by collaboration and conflict. Collaboration is crucial for effective delivery, these conflicts undermine the effectiveness of healthcare service delivery. Therefore these conflicts would need to be addressed at an institutional level to enhance the relationship between informal and formal healthcare services to provide effective healthcare delivery for urban slum dwellers.