How WHO will boost universal health coverage in Nigeria: Official

*The World Health Organisation at a three-day forum engages with several stakeholders to enable the National Health Insurance Authority to drive the universal health coverage in Nigeria

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

The World Health Organisation (WHO), Nigeria says the UN body will boost the health coverage for Nigerian consumers.

Dr. Francis Ukwuije, Technical Officer on Health Financing at WHO, said this at a recent three-day engagement of the Health Financing Mission of WHO in Nigeria with Prof. Mohammed Sambo, Director-General, National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), in Abuja, FCT.

Prof. Sambo noted that Nigeria has very high out of pocket expenditure of more 70 percent on health, agency report said.

Ukwuije as well said that the country had more than 50 percent of the population and in some states up to 80 percent that needed healthcare.

Nigeria’s population had fallen into poverty due to ill health or due to payment for healthcare, stated the WHO Technical Officer on Health Financing.

He said the efforts at implementing compulsory health insurance in Nigeria were as important as advancing the development of the country.

Ukwuije also said: “I wish to state that as WHO, we have the mandate to support member states in their priority areas.

“We can see that financing health insurance is one of the accelerators that the country has chosen and also primary healthcare towards universal health coverage.”

According to the top official, WHO mission to the NHIA is useful for the reasons that, first-it would help to support the NHIA and energise it towards operationalising the new law to gain the benefits therein.

“Second, to ensure that we have good representation and high level advocacy to the government of Nigeria and to those who make the laws and policies in the country.”

Ukwuije further noted: “Third, to finally to support the country in mopping up areas of health financing for the attainment of the Universal health coverage.”

Also speaking, Sambo

attributed the National Health Bill, assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari earlier this year, as one of the critical elements of the national development.

It is recalled that President

Buhari May 21, signed the National Health Insurance Authority Bill 2022 into law.

The new legislation repeals the National Health Insurance Scheme Act 2004.

The President during the signing said the new law had made provisions for the setup of a trust fund “to ensure the coverage of 83 million poor Nigerians who cannot afford to pay premiums as recommended by the Lancet Nigeria Commission.”

The NHIA Director-General  said that the bill signed by the President was not only a big commitment to achieving his vision of the next level agenda but also a desire to ensure healthcare delivery.

He stated: “Population of Nigeria as a symbol of art and health is one of the critical elements of development.”

Sambo also described the updated health bill as the trajectory and roadmap for attainment healthcare services in the West African country.

“What is left is how will health insurance agents partner  to support  government gesture by ensuring that  the effort  not only operationalise but has been put to the best use for the teeming population of Nigeria,’’ Sambo said.

Dr. Walter Molumbo, Country Representative of the WHO in Nigeria, said the three-day engagement was an opportunity for them to interact with the leadership of NHIA to look into ways of implementing the NHIA bill signed into this year.

Molumbo noted WHO believes that it is the best way to go if Nigeria is to achieve the universal health coverage in Nigeria.

He also stated: “It is a good opportunity for us and it is a privilege to be part of this high level advocacy meeting to review strategies on how we will operationalise this health insurance authority bill.

“Also how WHO can offer support to strengthen NHIA to deliver in its mandated.

“We also want to take this opportunity to interact with as many stakeholders as possible to enable the NHIA to drive the universal health coverage in Nigeria.”

Dr. Molumba disclosed the origination would do all that was necessary to meet high level government official and put across their message.

He stated: “For financing in Nigeria, we need to refer out of pocket expenditures in the country, this is the right way to go and we will work to support authority in that respect.”

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