NIGERIA – Nigeria has launched the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in all the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to help improve the health of all Nigerians at an affordable cost.

NHIS was created under Act 35 of 1999 constitution of Nigeria but 21 years after its establishment, the scheme has remained largely under-subscribed with very limited coverage across the country.

The past three years has however seen the NHIS undergo a lot of changes which have culminated in the roll out of the scheme in all the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory FCT.

NHIS Executive Secretary Prof. Mohammed Sambo said the scheme officials have a three-point rebranding agenda that will make NHIS a credible, result-oriented organization.

The rebranding agenda includes restoring the value system, general transparency and accountability in NHIS operations as well as accelerating the drive towards attaining universal health coverage.

“NHIF in partnership with the Ministry of Health and stakeholders has commenced the social health insurance for all states to deliver the basic healthcare provision fund which covers the vulnerable population,” noted Prof. Mohammed Sambo.

All Nigerian states have started the implementation of the basic healthcare provision fund based on resources delivered to them and over 15 million Nigerians have been covered.

“The National Assembly has allocated funds in Nigerian constituencies for constituency projects as well as planned community visits to get them enrolled into the health insurance scheme,” he further said.

NHIS has also launched Group Individual Family Social Health Insurance Programme (Gifship) to drive the informal sector health insurance programme for thousands of Nigerians coming in to register.

Meanwhile, Lagos State chapter of the Association of Community Pharmacists (ACPN) of Nigeria has asked the state government to include pharmacists as care providers in its health insurance scheme.

The ACPN Chairman Pharm Lawrence Ekhator said pharmacists must be duly engaged in the scheme as it would yield little interest if pharmacists did not have space in the Lagos State Health Insurance Scheme.

“Pharmacists that live nearer to the people should be embedded in the scheme since drugs remain on the exclusive list and places where drugs are sold must be accredited and regulated by the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria,” he asserted.

The Lagos ACPN chairman also lamented on the huge payment required by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control from members of the association for destruction of drug products which is unsustainable.

“Drugs have expired, we have lost money and we voluntarily want to give out those drugs to the regulatory agencies but they are insisting that we have to make payment to destroy those drugs,” he explained.

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