The World Health Organisation (WHO), has expressed commitment to boosting Nigeria’s health coverage saying it is part of the organization’s mission to promote a healthier society.
WHO Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr. Walter Molumbo stated this at a 3-day engagement with the leadership of NHIA in Abuja.
He said the engagement is aimed at interacting with the leadership of NHIA to ensure adequate implementation of the NHIA bill signed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Dr. Molumbo stresses that their target is for Nigeria to achieve its universal health coverage to eliminate ill health treatments in the country.
“It is a privilege to be part of this high-level advocacy meeting to review strategies on how we will operationalize this health insurance authority bill.
Also how WHO can offer support to strengthen NHIA to deliver on its mandate?
For financing in Nigeria, we need to refer to out-of-pocket expenditures in the country, this is the right way to go and we will work to support authority in that respect.”
Earlier, WHO Technical Officer on Health financing, Dr. Francis Ukwuije noted that they are resolute on achieving results hence the new bill will address over 50 percent of the population craving healthcare services in the country.
“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.
WHO’s mission to the NHIA is useful for the reasons that, first-it would help to support the NHIA and energize it towards operationalizing the new law to gain the benefits therein.
I wish to state that as WHO, we have the mandate to support member states in their priority areas.” Said Dr. Francis Ukwuije WHO Finance Officer in Nigeria.
Also speaking, the Director-General, National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Prof. Mohammed Nasir Sambo, noted that the new Bill assented to by Mr. President is a critical element of the nation’s development, thus commending him for his zeal to advance the health sector.
“We need to ensure that this law will look to constitute about two million population which has allowed establishing what is called vulnerable efficiency activities.
What is left is how will health insurance agents partner support government gesture by ensuring that the effort not only operationalize but has been put to the best use for the teeming population of Nigeria.” Said Prof. Mohammed Nasir Sambo, Director-General, National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA)
President Muhammadu Buhari on May 21, signed the National Health Insurance Authority Bill 2022 into law repealing the National Health Insurance Scheme Act 2004, aimed at setting up 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.”
