Nigeria is among the countries affected by a growing number of attacks against healthcare facilities, medical workers and patients, highlighting the security challenges threatening the delivery of essential health services.
A World Health Organization surveillance report cited in Nigeria on Monday showed that more than 10,400 attacks on healthcare have been recorded globally over an eight-year period. The incidents include attacks against hospitals and other medical facilities, healthcare workers, patients, ambulances and medical supplies.
The attacks have taken different forms, ranging from physical violence and destruction of medical infrastructure to threats, intimidation and obstruction of healthcare delivery.
Nigeria’s inclusion in the data is significant because insecurity has increasingly affected the country’s healthcare system, particularly in areas experiencing conflict, terrorism, banditry and other forms of violence.
A separate 2026 report cited by The PUNCH found that 91 health workers were kidnapped and 15 killed in 101 attacks on healthcare facilities across Nigeria between 2023 and 2025.
Such incidents can have consequences beyond the immediate victims.
When health workers are attacked or kidnapped, medical personnel may leave affected communities, reducing the availability of healthcare services. Damage to hospitals and clinics can also prevent patients from accessing emergency treatment, maternal care, vaccinations and other essential services.
The problem is not limited to Nigeria.
The WHO said attacks on healthcare in conflict zones around the world averaged more than four incidents every day in 2026, with more than 900 attacks recorded between January and August. Those incidents resulted in at least 900 deaths and more than 1,400 injuries.
Countries and territories experiencing major conflicts, including Ukraine, Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territory, accounted for a large share of reported incidents.
The WHO defines an attack on healthcare broadly to include violence, obstruction or threats that interfere with the availability, access or delivery of curative or preventive health services during emergencies.
For Nigeria, the security challenge is particularly important because healthcare workers are needed in some of the country’s most vulnerable communities.
Repeated attacks can discourage professionals from accepting postings in high-risk areas and can make already difficult efforts to provide healthcare even more challenging.
The Federal Government has previously ordered measures to strengthen the protection of health workers following reported assaults and attacks at healthcare institutions.
Health stakeholders argue that protecting healthcare personnel should be treated as an essential component of national security and public-health planning.
Hospitals and clinics must be able to operate safely for doctors, nurses, laboratory scientists, pharmacists, patients and support staff.
The latest figures therefore underline the need for stronger security around vulnerable health facilities, better emergency-response systems and improved coordination between security agencies and health authorities.
Protecting healthcare from violence is also critical during disease outbreaks and humanitarian emergencies, when communities depend heavily on health workers for treatment, disease surveillance and public-health information.
For Nigeria, reducing attacks on healthcare could help retain medical personnel, improve access to services and strengthen public confidence in the health system.
