By Safiyanu Ladan
The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), now Nigeria Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), was established under NHIS Act (2004) by the Federal Government of Nigeria to provide easy access to health care for all Nigerians.
The central idea of the scheme is to enhance healthcare delivery to all Nigerians at affordable prices. Hence, easy access to health care installations for all Nigerians is consummate as it would drastically reduce, among other effects, neonatal and maternal deaths which have been the bottleneck of Nigeria’s development.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), the maternal mortality rate in several low-income and middle-income countries is alarming. For example, Nigeria and India account for about 34% of global motherly deaths.
Nigeria’s maternal mortality rate (MMR) is 814 per 100,000 live births. The lifetime threat of Nigerian women dying during gestation, childbirth, postpartum and post-abortion is 1 in 22, in contrast to developed countries, estimated at 1 in 4,900.
Still, the WHO attributed the high prevalence of maternal deaths in Nigeria is inequality in access to health services.
To contend with the challenges associated with maternal deaths in Nigeria, the studies by WHO suggested some modalities, one of which is perfecting the accessibility, availability, affordability and quality of health care in PHCs will most probably reduce the high rate of neonatal and maternal mortality in Nigeria.
Upon assumption of duty in 2019, the selfless, diligent, and workaholic professor of family medicine unveiled a novel 3 points agenda which includes, among other effects accelerating the scheme towards achieving universal health coverage for all Nigerians.
In ascertaining that, the amiable and agile professor and his platoon worked round the clock, day in and day out, and sought out the legislation that changed the narratives in NHIS. A milestone that his forerunners failed to achieve. Therefore, the credit goes to him.
On May 19, 2022, he made history, having successfully secured the signing of the National Health Insurance Act (NHIAA) 17 into law by the National Assembly.
The signing of the National Health Insurance Act 17, which gave birth to the National Health Insurance Authority ( NHIA), is a breakthrough in the full implementation of all-inclusive access to health care.
The legislation provided a legal framework for all Nigerians, including the most vulnerable, to have easy access to quality healthcare delivery through the National Health Insurance Authority.
Professor Sambo said to ensure the effective perpetration of the scheme. The FG would spend a whopping 1.4 trillion for the Health Insurance premium of about 83 million Nigerians who fall within the vulnerable group of citizens of the country.
His tireless efforts towards achieving the chivalrous change of NHIS clause “ May ” in section 16 of the NHIS to “Shall”, thereby making it all-inclusive, is greatly applaudable.
The previous professor Sambo has set an unprecedented pace towards evolving NHIA to achieve its mandate of ensuring Universal Health Coverage for all by 2030. With Sambo at the helm of NHIA, it’s attainable.
Safiyanu Ladan writes from Zaria.
