The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), says it enrolled two million indigent Nigerians into basic minimum package of health services through the State Health Insurance Agencies (SHIAs).

Dr Kurfi Abubakar, head, policy, planning and international collaboration, division, said this on Tuesday at a two-day Joint Learning Agenda (JLA), on Universal Health Coverage (UHC), Health Financing and Budget Advocacy.

Mr Abubakar said the agency was also working towards 83 million vulnerable Nigerians being covered under Compulsory Social Health Insurance (CSHI).

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

He said that the country working hard towards achieving UHC, as the Authority 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 said.

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

“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.

Ms Dan’agalan said that it would 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 said 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.

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

“Initial focus is on 2 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 facilitate a platform for engagement among various stakeholders,” she said.

She said that the overview would also develop civil society scorecards for tracking national and subnational implementation of the NHIA Act.

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

Mr Damilola said that a country’s health system that fulfils its responsibilities to citizens could function in isolation. 

(NAN)