Stakeholders Task State Governments On ‘Health Insurance For All’

Presently, only 8,107,795 Nigerians have been enrolled in the health insurance scheme across 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) since 2018, even as stakeholders have tasked states government to intensify efforts in ensuring that all Nigerians have access to quality healthcare services, without financial hardship.

This is the only way the country can achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC), a situation where all people have access to the full range of quality health services they need, when and where they need them, without financial hardship, stakeholders affirmed.

As of 2021, individuals in Nigeria directed slightly over 76 per cent of their out-of-pocket spending towards healthcare, according to recent report by Statista.

This is so sad, concerning the fact that the prices of drugs have skyrocketed in Nigeria, forcing many Nigerians to turn to herbal remedies for their healthcare needs, the chairman, Public Health Sustainable Advocacy Initiative (PHSAI), Barrister Ayo Adebusoye told me; if this trend continues, it will be difficult for Nigeria to achieve UHC.

While 34 states in Nigeria, plus the FCT, have rolled out health insurance scheme, the number of residents covered within states level is still very low. For instance, in Oyo state, less than 10 per cent of residents are insured, despite the numerous benefits associated with existing state insurance schemes.

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Adebusoye therefore tasked all states government to intensify efforts in ensuring that all residents in their states have health insurance coverage, which is the gateway to achieving UHC for all.

Although the percentage of people with health insurance has been increasing over time, there are still significant gaps in coverage, leaving a sizeable portion of the population—particularly the vulnerable—without insurance, health specialist at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Dr. Ijeoma Agbo told me.

Agbo, however, stated that if Nigeria is to achieve UHC, then coordinated measures to address systemic issues as well as improving health systems are required. “Government agencies, healthcare providers, donor agencies, civil society organizations, the private sector, communities, and the media must work together,” she continued.

Latest figures from UNICEF showed a maternal mortality rate of 576 per 100,000 live births, the fourth highest on Earth. Each year approximately 262,000 babies die at birth, the world’s second highest national total. Infant mortality currently stands at 69 per 1,000 live births while for under-fives it rises to 128 per 1,000 live births. More than half of the under-five deaths – 64 per cent – result from malaria, pneumonia or diarrhoea.