Trust is essential in healthcare. For Nigerian health professionals, handling patient data with care, fairness, and transparency is now more important than ever.

This article outlines the ethical principles and legal rules that guide responsible data use in our health system.

Contents

Understanding Data Ethics in Nigeria’s Health Sector

Why Data Ethics Matters in Nigeria’s Health Sector

Understanding Data Ethics in Nigeria’s Health Sector

What is Data Ethics in Health?

Data ethics means doing the right thing when handling patient information. In Nigeria’s health system, it involves protecting the privacy, rights, and dignity of patients when collecting, storing, or sharing their health records. This ensures that health data is used in a fair, safe, and legal way.

Why Data Ethics Matters in Nigeria’s Health Sector

Health data such as medical records, lab results, or treatment history is highly sensitive. If misused, it can lead to identity theft, stigma, discrimination, or poor health outcomes.

In Nigeria, two key laws guide health data protection:

National Health Act (2014) – Ensures patient confidentiality.

Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA, 2023) – Governs the collection, storage, and use of personal data across sectors, including health.

These laws provide a framework for hospitals, clinics, NGOs, digital health platforms, and government agencies to follow ethical data practices.

Why Health Organizations Must Follow Ethical Data Practices

Legal Compliance

NDPA 2023 requires that personal data be processed lawfully, fairly, and transparently with clear patient consent.
The National Health Act mandates confidentiality and responsible use of patient records.

Patient Trust

When patients trust the health system to handle their data responsibly, they are more likely to provide accurate information—leading to better diagnoses and care.

Protection Against Harm

Ethical practices protect against data breaches and help prevent stigma, especially in cases involving HIV, mental health, or sexual and reproductive health.

Fairness and Inclusion

Ethical data use ensures that no group is unfairly treated due to gender, religion, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status.

Support for Digital Health Growth

As Nigeria expands its use of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and digital health tools, strong data ethics ensure these systems help patients without putting their privacy or rights at risk.

Key Ethical Concerns in Health Data Use

Privacy and Consent

Patients must give informed consent before their data is collected or shared—except during emergencies or with legal authorization.

Bias and Discrimination

Unfair data practices can affect diagnoses, access to treatment, or insurance coverage. Health systems must ensure data analysis is fair and unbiased.

Security and Confidentiality

Health records must be stored securely using passwords, encryption, and access controls to prevent unauthorized access.

Transparency and Accountability

Patients have a right to know:

What data is being collected
Why it’s being collected

How it will be used or shared
Health institutions must be accountable when data is misused.

The Five Core Principles of Health Data Ethics in Nigeria

Respect for Persons

Uphold patient dignity and autonomy. Always obtain informed consent and protect identity.

Beneficence (Doing Good)
Use data to improve health outcomes and support public health initiatives.

Non-Maleficence (Do No Harm)
Avoid using or exposing data in ways that could harm the patient or community.

Justice: Promote fairness. No one should be excluded from care or benefits based on biased data.

Transparency
Be open about data handling practices. Patients should understand what is happening with their information.

Promoting Data Literacy in the Health Sector

For ethical practices to work, health workers must be data literate. This means understanding how to:

Use data legally and responsibly
Recognize and avoid bias
Secure patient information
Report ethical concerns when necessary

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Sharing patient info over WhatsApp or social media
Accessing records without permission
Failing to update or secure patient records properly

Ongoing training and ethical awareness programs can help prevent these issues.

Ethical data practices are now both a legal obligation and a moral duty for everyone in Nigeria’s health sector from health information manager, doctors and nurses to software developers and administrators. By following Nigeria’s laws and core ethical principles, we: