Society for Family Health, NHIA sign MOU to accelerate universal health coverage

The Society for Family Health (SFH) Nigeria has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to scale up Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and access to healthcare  services for Nigerians.

Universal Health Coverage means ensuring that everyone – no matter where they live or who they are – can access essential quality health services without facing financial hardship. It is estimated that over 70% of Nigerians pay for healthcare services out of pockets. 

 The MoU covers provision of technical support and capacity building in areas of innovative financing, benefit packages, strategic plan implementation, social marketing to improve access to and quality of medicines, capacity building, among other mutual interests.

Speaking during the signing ceremony at the NHIA headquarters in Abuja, the Managing Director of SFH, Dr Omokhudu Idogho, said achieving health for all will require multi-sectoral collaborations from government, private and non-profit organisations. 

He said signing the document by both parties was a critical step that would lead to the continuation of a robust partnership in the provision of technical support and capacity building to the NHIA , which will in turn strengthen its mandate for achieving financial access to quality healthcare for all Nigerians.

He said, “We will prioritise universal health coverage with a focus on primary healthcare and strategic purchasing in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 3) action plan”.  

 The Director General of the NHIA, Prof. Mohammed Nasir Sambo, said the areas of collaboration were critical to health insurance coverage in Nigeria.

He said many people have no idea of the essentials of the benefits package, adding that it is very important to have a benefit package that will serve as a benchmark that can be purchased by the NHIA anywhere.

Commissioner of Health, Ekiti State, Dr Oyebanji Filani, said states would provide required support for the partnership to ensure it works well, particularly at the state level.