WHO MISSION DECLARES SUPPORT FOR NHIA ACT .... Visits Health Ministry

"Most of the infrastructural development, human resource and investment patterns investments have gone to the very large visible hospitals which are not much utilized at the expense of small primary healthcare centres in the rural areas." Ehanire.

A delegation of the World Health Organization (WHO) Mission for Health Financing to Nigeria, led by its Technical Officer, Fahdi Dkhimi and officials of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), recently paid a courtesy call to the Honourable Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire in his office, on Tuesday 26th July, 2022.

According to a statement signed by Ahmadu A.A. Chindaya, the Deputy Director (Media & Public Relations) of the Federal Ministry of Health, the visiting team and other relevant stakeholders who interacted with the Minister of Health on the recently signed NHIA Act 2022, discussed among others, possible ways to effectively operationalize the NHIA Act for the benefits of Nigerians.

Dr. Osagie Ehanire described the gesture by WHO as a welcome development. He revealed some of the constraints faced by the scheme to include: infrastructural development, human resource and investment patterns. 

According to Ehanire, “most of the investments have gone to the very large visible hospitals which are not much utilized at the expense of small primary healthcare centres in the rural areas.”

The Minister further solicited for investment and higher level of care at the sub urban level in order to achieve Universal Health Coverage.

Earlier, Permanent Secretary, FMoH, Mr. Mahmuda Mamman stated that the Act promulgated few years ago has recently been signed into Law by President Muhammadu Buhari. 

"The Acts provides for NHIA to implement schemes for relevant groups including Federal Civil Servant and establishes a vulnerable Group Fund, part of which can be invested by the NHIA." He stated.

In his remarks, Fahdi Dkhimi, stated that WHO is committed towards supporting the implementation process of the Scheme.