NHIA Accredits 2,000 Hospitals Ahead of HIV, TB Coverage Expansion

 

"Expanding coverage must go hand in hand with the ability of healthcare facilities to provide quality services." Dr Kelechi Ohiri, Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NHIA.

.... Says. “For us, coverage is only meaningful if people can actually access the care they are entitled to. As we expand health insurance coverage for HIV/AIDS and TB services, we have to make sure that the facilities providing that care have the capacity to deliver it."

“This accreditation exercise allows us to identify the gaps, address them and ensure that expansion in coverage is matched by quality care.”

The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has commenced a nationwide accreditation of more than 2,000 healthcare facilities ahead of plans to expand health insurance coverage for people living with HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB) patients.

The exercise, which began on August 31 and will end on September 21, 2026, is part of preparations for the implementation of the Global Fund’s Grant Cycle 8 (GC8) for HIV/AIDS and TB services.

The accreditation will assess the readiness and capacity of healthcare facilities to provide HIV/AIDS and TB services in line with NHIA operational guidelines and approved benefit packages.

The exercise is being conducted across the country, with particular attention on healthcare facilities in Benue, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Anambra and Nasarawa states.

NHIA said the exercise would help identify gaps in the capacity of facilities, generate data to guide accreditation and quality improvement investments, strengthen accountability and ensure consistent standards of care for people living with HIV/AIDS and TB patients.

The initiative builds on the Authority’s experience under the Global Fund’s GC7 grant, through which NHIA currently provides health insurance coverage for people living with HIV/AIDS and TB patients in Ebonyi, Anambra, Gombe and Kwara states.

With the transition to the GC8 grant, NHIA said the ongoing exercise would help determine the capacity of facilities ahead of the planned expansion of the programme.

The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NHIA, Dr Kelechi Ohiri, said expanding coverage must go hand in hand with the ability of healthcare facilities to provide quality services.

“For us, coverage is only meaningful if people can actually access the care they are entitled to. As we expand health insurance coverage for HIV/AIDS and TB services, we have to make sure that the facilities providing that care have the capacity to deliver it,” Ohiri said.

“This accreditation exercise allows us to identify the gaps, address them and ensure that expansion in coverage is matched by quality care.”

The exercise is being conducted in collaboration with the Global Fund, State Social Health Insurance Agencies, State AIDS Control Agencies and Programmes, State TB, Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer Control Programmes, as well as State Primary Health Care Development Agencies.

NHIA plans to expand health insurance coverage for HIV/AIDS and TB services nationwide in 2027 after the completion of the accreditation exercise.

The move is expected to strengthen access to care for people living with HIV/AIDS and patients requiring TB treatment while improving the capacity of healthcare facilities to meet required service standards.