Afrigather Abuja, 1 August, 2022 – The World Health Group Nation Representative (WR), Walter Kazadi Mulombo, has underscored the group’s commitment to supporting Nigeria in rapidly-tracking the operationalization of the just now not too prolonged ago enacted Health Insurance Act.
Dr Mulombo made the pledge for the length of a high-diploma assembly with the Secretary to the Authorities of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, the Director Frequent, Nationwide Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Professor Mohammed Sambo and a team of WHO Health Financing Mission delegates from the WHO Geneva, Africa Regional Position of job and Nigeria.
The first ever High-diploma WHO Health Financing Mission to Nigeria, led by Dr Joseph Kutzin was once scheduled to supply a sustainable correctly being financing reinforce to the country towards Widespread Health Coverage (UHC) and correctly being safety whereas endeavor centered advocacy to go operationalization of the NHIA Act including the Susceptible Group Fund (VGF). Here is in accordance with WHO’s purpose of guaranteeing that every contributors and communities salvage the standard correctly being companies they want with out suffering financial hardship.
Dr Mulombo said President Buhari’s signing the NHIA Bill into law will manufacture correctly being insurance vital for all appropriate residents in Nigeria and expands coverage to over 83 million unhappy and vulnerable other folks. He expressed the optimism that executive will prioritize instantaneous appropriation of the Special Intervention Fund in the Act to set the Susceptible Group Fund.
“Certainly, the process of guaranteeing that every electorate possess entry to the standard healthcare they want with out falling into poverty is a deliberate political resolution to total the cardinal dreams of inhabitants coverage, service coverage, and financial protection. I don’t possess any doubts that in a tidy federal nation relish Nigeria, this milestone of appropriating the Special Intervention Fund will be done in the 2023 fiscal 300 and sixty five days”, he said.
In his remarks, Mr Mustapha favored WHO because the major pattern accomplice to Nigeria on correctly being, and louded WHO’s precious steering namely on the COVID-19 pandemic.
“WHO has demonstrated that it is far a company that cares for and caters for the correctly being desires of the americans. On the NHIA, let me commend the DG for his tenacity and resolution to possess this Act come to fruition. I desire to thank WHO and other partners who supported in drafting the Bill. This modest try has equipped in model correctly being insurance coverage to the vulnerable, and making it vital will gallop a prolonged plan in helping our other folks to govern their earnings and remain at work when it involves the center-broken economy we are witnessing”.
The SGF extra expressed executive’s committment to relevant the Special Intervention Fund (SIF) in the 2023 nationwide budget for the institution of the Susceptible Group Fund (VGF). “No family in Nigeria has economically survived catering for any of their possess tormented by cancer. The correctly being of our poeople is attributable to this fact topmost on our priorities regardless of competing demands”, he said.
At some level of their advocacy search the advice of with to the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, the Minister recommended the odd role WHO is taking half in in the correctly being sector in Nigeria whereas appreciating her stable commitment and steadfastness to bettering the healthcare of all Nigerians at all times.
Earlier, the mission had visited the NHIA headquarters, the place Professor Sambo said that even supposing Nigeria has operated correctly being insurance for the past twenty-three years with low citizen coverage because it was once now not vital, the original law has the functionality to go fulfillment of in model correctly being coverage for all Nigerians. The Director Frequent of the NHIA added that WHO’s reinforce to this level has been vital and the Mission is the first of its kind in the history of the group.
“I were reliably educated that here’s the first high-diploma mission to the Nationwide Health Insurance Plan now Authority since inception and I don’t possess any doubts that this engagement of WHO’s most senior and most entertaining consultants in correctly being financing will function credible outcomes. There is no gainsaying that correctly being is undoubtedly one of the vital parts of pattern. With the original law and implementation modalities, the NHIA is poised to reaching in model correctly being coverage for all Nigerians rapidly,” he said.
The Mission also met with the Senate Committee Chairman on Health Senator Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe, the Condominium Committee Chairman on Health Products and companies, Honourable Tanko Sununu, the Director Frequent of Funds, Dr. Ben Akabueze, and key Vogue Partners on Health in Nigeria.
President Muhammadu Buhari signed the NHIA Bill into an Act of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Might perhaps maybe also 2022.
Technical Contact:
Dr Francis Ukwuije; E mail: ukwuijef [at] who.int
