By Asmau Ahmad
The Federal Government of Nigeria said it will invest in 8,000 primary healthcare centres with the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this in Abuja during the unveiling of the 2022 National Health Insurance Authority Act operational guidelines.
The Operational Guidelines is the secondary law that operationalises the NHIA Act.
“We expect faster progress and increased enrollment in the next few years. Also, there is a portion of BHCPF that is meant for the vulnerable group and we will make sure that it gets to them.
“We will be investing in the Primary Healthcare arena where almost 8,000 primary healthcare across the country will be receiving funds through the BHCPF.
“We will expand the space where the private sector and development partners will contribute,” Pate said.
Pate stated that Nigeria has less than 10 per cent covered presently.
He, however, said that the implementation of the programme would ensure that more Nigerians are covered to meet the goals set by President Bola Tinubu.
Earlier, the Director-General, NHIA, Mohammed Sambo, said the NHIA Act provided two critical provisions for the attainment of Universal Health Coverage.
He said the act was also a legal basis for mandatory participation and the establishment of the Vulnerable Group Fund.
Prof. Sambo added that the two provisions strengthened the capacity of the NHIA to ensure financial access to quality, healthcare services for all Nigerians, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 3 and contribute to poverty reduction.
According to him, the Act also expands the role of NHIA to that of a regulator, promoter, and integrator of all health insurance schemes in Nigeria, while recognising the relevance and roles of various stakeholders.
Sambo disclosed further that the NHIA Operational Guidelines were secondary laws derived from the NHIA Act.
“These operational guidelines are, therefore, the result of expert insights and
extensive practical experience from all the stakeholders in the health insurance
ecosystem.
“They have been crafted to align with the rebranded NHIA mission, vision, and core values and the extensive reforms within the health insurance ecosystem.
“The guidelines ensure that all stakeholders have a broad-based knowledge of health insurance operations in Nigeria.
“Within the pages, you will find a wealth of information that covers a wide range of operations ranging from governance and stewardship to accreditation, and data management, as well as offences, penalties, and legal proceedings.
“We trust that these guidelines will serve as valuable resources in our journey towards the attainment of Universal Health Coverage,” Prof. Sambo said.
