When 32-year-old market trader Zainab Musa fell ill with malaria last year, she had to borrow N18,000 to pay for drugs and hospital tests, nearly half her monthly earnings.

“I don’t have insurance. Everything I pay is from my pocket. If I don’t sell, I can’t go to the hospital,” she said quietly.

Musa’s story mirrors that of millions of Nigerians who still pay for healthcare out of pocket. More than seven in 10 citizens fund their medical expenses themselves, turning illness into both a medical and financial crisis.

Those covered by he

When 32-year-old market trader Zainab Musa fell ill with malaria last year, she had to borrow N18,000 to pay for drugs and hospital tests, nearly half her monthly earnings.

“I don’t have insurance. Everything I pay is from my pocket. If I don’t sell, I can’t go to the hospital,” she said quietly.

Musa’s story mirrors that of millions of Nigerians who still pay for healthcare out of pocket. More than seven in 10 citizens fund their medical expenses themselves, turning illness into both a medical and financial crisis.

Those covered by he