Korede Abdullah
The Director General (DG) of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Kelechi Ohiri, and other stakeholders in the health sector, including the World Health Organization (WHO), have expressed reservations about the national coverage of Nigeria’s health insurance scheme since its inception in 1999.
The stakeholders which comprised WHO Country Representative, Walter Mulombo and others met at Abuja on Friday at the engagement that was themed ‘The NHIA Act: Two Years After – Reflections and Future Direction’.
At the event, Ohiri said with the two years of the NHIA Act, and the high-level strategic stakeholders engagement, it was imperative to reflect on the journey, accomplishments of the collective mandate, challenges and causes, and charting paths to address them.
The stakeholders all regretted that despite modest achievements, there was still a lot of ground to be covered, with only 1.8 million vulnerable Nigerians currently enrolled, and many more facing significant cut-throat expenses to have to access healthcare, increasing poverty poverty level.
He emphasized the need to address issues of low coverage, uneven distribution, and access to quality care. The NHIA boss stressed the importance of translating experience into tangible actions, especially regarding financial access, and expressed concern about vulnerable groups, especially women.
It will be recalled that the NHIA Act, which was signed into law in May 2022, addresses some of the challenges of the old law, including mandatory health insurance for all Nigerians, state-specific schemes, and the creation of the Vulnerable Group Fund.
The NHIA DG reflected on the journey so far, accomplishments, challenges, and future directions, emphasizing the need to expand access to the informal sector and vulnerable groups.
