2m Nigerians benefitted from Basic Minimum Package Health Services – NHIA

The National Health Insurance Authority says it enrolled two million indigent Nigerians into the Basic Minimum Package of Health Services through the State Health Insurance Agencies.

Head, Policy, Planning and International Collaboration, Division, NHIA, Dr. Kurfi Abubakar, made this known on Tuesday at a two-day ‘Joint Learning Agenda on Universal Health Coverage, Health Financing and Budget Advocacy’.

Abubakar said the agency was working towards getting 83 million vulnerable Nigerians covered under the Compulsory Social Health Insurance.

He explained that NHIA Act would address out-of-pocket medical expenditures for Nigerians when fully implemented.

Abubakar revealed that the country was working hard towards achieving UHC, as the FG was ready to implement the Act and get Nigerians internalised.

“With NHIA, efforts to tackle the high incidence of poverty caused by out-of-pocket expenses for healthcare, through health insurance for all categories of Nigerians by 2030, is now more realisable than ever before,” he added.

The Capacity Development Lead, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Sakinatu Dan’agalan, said one of the objectives of implementing the Basic Health Care Provision Fund is to achieve at least one fully functional PHC facility in each ward.

She said, “We seek to cover at least 30 per cent of all wards over the next three years, 70 per cent within five years, and 100 per cent within seven years, she said.

Dan’agalan said there would be at least three fully functional public or private secondary healthcare facilities, benefitting from the BHCPF in the 36 states of the federation and the FCT.

She informed that the BHCPF would also establish effective emergency medical response services in 36 states of the federation and the FCT.

Mrs. Oyeyemi Pitan, ED Gem Hub Initiative Co-Convener Joint Learning Agenda for UHC in Nigeria, said that the overview of the JLA is to advance Health Insurance Uptake in the country at National and Sub-national levels.

Pitan said this would ensure financial risk protection for the most vulnerable in the country.

“Initial focus is on two States – Lagos and Kano with plans to scale up to other states based on available resources.

“It also strives to promote CSO understanding of the NHIA, Implementation guidelines and opportunities for partnership and to facilitate a platform for engagement among various stakeholders,” she added.

Pitan explained further that the overview would also develop civil society scorecards for tracking national and subnational implementation of the NHIA Act.

Also speaking, the Program Manager, Legislative Initiative for Sustainable Development, Mr. Ademuyiwa Damilola, said that the legislature had made a valuable impact towards strengthening the health system in the country.

(NAN)