A snakebite death is the latest high-profile tragedy in Nigeria: they all connect to map a system in collapse | Cheta Nwanze

The article discusses a series of high-profile incidents in Nigeria that highlight the country's struggling healthcare system. The recent death of a young singer, Ifunanya Nwangene, from a snakebite due to the alleged lack of available antivenom is the latest tragedy. This follows the death of novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's son in a private hospital in Lagos and the images of boxer Anthony Joshua being assisted by bystanders after a car accident, with no emergency services in sight. These seemingly disconnected events are interconnected, representing the collapse of Nigeria's healthcare system, where survival is determined by factors like wealth, location, and chance. The article paints a grim picture of a system that is failing its citizens, with access to quality medical care being a matter of luck rather than a basic right. The author suggests that these high-profile incidents serve as a diagnostic map of the broader healthcare crisis in Nigeria.