UHC: NHIA Boss lauds Kogi health insurance enrollments

The Director General of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr Kelechi Ohiri, has applauded the enrollment of seventy-three thousand, five hundred and eighty-seven people under various health insurance programmes of Kogi State.

Ohiri expressed excitement over the development during the official launch of enrollment of citizens of Kogi State into health insurance in Lokoja, describing the effort as historic.

He further noted that the enrollment of the State’s civil servants under the formal sector programme and persons under the Basic Health Care Provision Programme (BHCPF) was a significant milestone in the overall effort to achieve Universal health Coverage (UHC) in Nigeria, stressing that health insurance is a critical tool for reducing health poverty.

While noting the significance of the number of people enrolled, Ohiri stressed the Federal Government’s determination to achieve UHC, adding that the objective can only be speedily attained through the synergy between the NHIA and state governments.

Aimed at boosting health care at primary care levels across the country, the health insurance chief disclosed that N26b has so far been disbursed under the NHIA gateway of the basic healthcare provision fund initiative, giving the assurance that the authority will sustain technical support to state health insurance agencies within the context of collaborative working with institutions at sub-national levels.

Speaking at the occasion, the governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo stated that the enrollment of citizens of the state underscored his administration’s commitment to improving the health indices of the people.

Key functionaries of the state government and the chief executive of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) were present at the occasion.

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