Nigeria will achieve UHC through implementation of National Health Act ― Ipaye

Towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, stakeholders in the health industry have been enjoined to ensure the workability of the National Health Act for Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

The Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr Babatunde Ipaye, on Wednesday, said the implementation of the National Health Act would make the country record success in the health industry.

Ipaye who was the Guest Speaker at the 2018 Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Nigerian Medical Association, Ogun State branch, explained that the Act provides for one per cent of the Consolidated Fund to provide for the basic health indices.

He noted that the fund was included in the 2018 budget and would be disbursed to each state of the federation through the States Primary Healthcare Boards and Health Insurance Schemes.

While advising state actors in the sector to put the Fund into use for the benefits of all Nigerians irrespective of locations.

The theme of the conference is “Universal Health Coverage: A Pragmatic Tool Towards Achieving The Sustainable Development Goals.”

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He added that Nigeria is going through an epidemiological transition and needed the UHC more than any other country in the world, saying that the country is dealing with the high prevalence of noncommunicable diseases and increase in communicable diseases.

The commissioner said, “One of the major opportunity that has provided itself for achieving the Universal Health Coverage now is the implementation of the National Health Act. It is the biggest opportunity that Nigerians have at this point in time.

“The Health Act came into operation in 2014. The Act was provided for in the 2018 budget. The Act provides for one per cent of the Consolidated Fund to made available to provide what we called the Basic Health Provision Fund, and that Fund will be invested through Social Health Insurance; Primary Healthcare Revitalization, Accident and Emergency Management and Critical Needs; Research and Development; Recruitment and Training of quality healthcare providers at the primary care level.

“We are happy that for the first time, the Fund is part of the 2018 budget and it will be disbursed to the States through the PHC Boards and the State Health Insurance Schemes. It is my hope that the State level actors will put this to use and ensure that every Nigerians, no matter how remotely located they be able to benefit from this Fund.

“It is a golden opportunity that must not be allowed to go away. If States can now begin to think through how to increase funding for health, particularly for Primary Healthcare in adopting the National Health Act recommendation,  also allocating some percentage of their Consolidated Fund to providing basic health in it for the people, then we are on our way to achieving UHC.”

In his remarks, the NMA State chairman, Dr Abayomi Olajide, said the level coverage for health was still low, despite the resources deployed to the sector.

He noted that it is only in Nigeria that patients paid out of pocket, saying that the accessibility, affordability and availability still remained a big challenge.