The Nigeria Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has advocated for prioritisation of healthcare financing, as there is a strong relationship between health, productivity and socio-economic development
The Director General of NHIA, Prof. Mohammed Sambo in his presentation at a policy dialogue on accelerating implementation of NHIA Act to improve health insurance coverage, organised by NHIA, in partnership with Nigeria Health Watch, explained that if Nigeria gets the finance of health system right, in terms of revenue mobilisations, revenue pooling, and strategic purchasing mechanism, then it drives the remaining blocks of the healthcare system, including governance, human resource for health, quality healthcare services, access to medicines, and reliable information.
Sambo further said health insurance plays a significant role in attainment of universal health coverage and attainment of sustainable development goal agenda.
“Most Nigerians suffer huge expenses for health, as the compulsory nature of health insurance will ensure over 80 million poor and the vulnerable have access to qualitative healthcare services.”
Sambo further explained that the quality of any discussion on healthcare financing is incomplete without considering the shape and development of a country.
“Social Determinants of Health include access to potable water, the level of education as especially the girl child, the level of environmental system and so on and so forth.
“In climates where these factors are not readily available, the centre of disease is high shelter insurance system of this is to adopt the concept of prioritisation and innovative finance.
“There is still work to be done in advocacy, collaboration, implementation, monitoring, and sanctions for erring parties.
“Any policy must ensure that country takes a lead in putting health at the highest level of the agenda.
“The only way out of this is to adopt the concept of prioritisation and innovative financing. In terms of prioritisation, government will have to put health insurance at the topmost level agenda ahead of competing intersectoral sector demands to mobilise adequate resources to meet the needs and aspirations of the people,” he said.
Also, the Director General of Budget Office, Ben Akabueze, emphasised that Nigeria must find innovative financing for health insurance provision through Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), health insurance levy, budgetary allocations, accruals from the VGF from NHIA investments, donations, grants, gifts, etc., and private sector focused innovative financing.
“Health is on the residual list, which means it is the responsibility of the state to provide for its people. States must take responsibility for providing qualitative and accessible health for their people.
“Growth is financial constraints remain the key barrier to adequate provision of health insurance in most developing countries, Nigeria not exempted and as a consequence of limited budgets for both from government and even donors.
“The public health budget is below $30 per capita a year and at that level, there is not much healthcare that you can purchase consequence out of pocket healthcare.
“It is therefore critical that we find innovative mechanisms for financing health care especially for those who lack the capacity to pay premiums even for insurance. Not to talk of directly paying for care by themselves.”
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