Health
Inclusion of Family Planning, Cancer Services in NHIS will Reduce Mortality- Experts
Some health experts have identified the need for inclusion of family planning and cancer services into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) benefit package.
According to them, the inclusion of these packages will help reduce morbidity and mortality arising from arising from lack of finances from patients and Nigerians who seek health care services.
The experts spoke at a two-day retreat organised by the Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN) in partnership with NHIS, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the Nigerian Cancer Society (NCS) on Wednesday in Abuja.
Due to the huge out-of-pocket spending for health services, which often leave average and poor Nigerians in penury, the government established the NHIS in 2005.
But in spite billions of Naira expended into the scheme since its inception, millions of Nigerians still lack access to quality healthcare.
About 70 per cent of Nigerians pay out-of-pocket for healthcare while the few enrolled in the scheme complaining of inadequate service delivery.
The scheme only covers between five to 10 per cent of the Nigerian population, mainly civil servants and corporate workers in the private sector.
Also, it does not cover key cancer treatment regimen which is very expensive.
Prof. Innocent Ujah, the President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), noted that the inclusion of family planning into the NHIS would improve acceptance and continued use of family planning.
This is will help to prevent unintended pregnancies through correct, consistent and social behaviour change.
Ujah, who was represented by Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Benue, Dr Joseph Ngbea, said the advocacy for these medical services would further strengthen advocacy to build political will for implementation.
Prof. Oladapo Ladipo said that the first rational for family planning was in the interest of the mother and the child to reduce mortality.
Ladipo said the country’s maternal mortality ratio was high when compared with other developed countries.
He said that Nigeria had not made any substantial progress in terms of services to its citizens in the past decades.
Alo speaking at the retreat, the Executive Secretary of NHIS, Dr Mohammed Sambo, said the advocacy was in line with the reform agenda of the current leadership of the scheme.
Sambo, who was represented by Mr Yakubu Agada,General Manager of Standard and Quality Assurance, NHIS, said the scheme was expanding coverage of essential healthcare services for all Nigerians.
He noted that efforts were under way for the scheme to cover retirees, elderly, IDPs and corps members.
“NHIS on its own part is currently reviewing its benefit package to accommodate some drugs and services for cancer and other communicable and non-communicable diseases,” he said.
He disclosed that the scheme was working with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on the actuarial valuation of the comprehensive benefit package was on-going.
“In that package, we already have some of the new generation chemotherapy; chemo drugs and others are included.
“While we are doing this, we need to look at how we are going to finance the new package, otherwise we are going to deplete the pool we have been able to put together,” he explained.
Hon. Tanko Sununi, Chairman, Healthcare Services Committee, House of Representatives, said that the Federal Ministry of Health was at the modality stage of disbursing funds to selected hospitals that will cover for indigent patients.
In her remarks, the wife of the Governor of Kebbi State, Dr Zainab Bagudu, said that access to family planning services and cancer treatment was critical to health care outcome in the country.
Bagudu explained that the inclusion of these essential services would reduce morbidity, mortality and financial burden placed on patients and care givers.
“Well-designed and resource sensitive health insurance benefits packages available on state and national scheme can see these services incorporated into packages in the immediate future,” she added.
She, however, called for collaboration and commitments of all stakeholders to achieve this.
NAN also reports that Sambo had in February said that Nigeria needed about three trillion naira annually to provide adequate health insurance to its total population of over 200 million.
He said that with sufficient funds, the scheme would expand its benefits package to include medical conditions including cancer.
To reduce the financial burden of treating the cancer, the Minster of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire , at a National Health Dialogue in 2019, had also announced plans to institute a cancer treatment fund.
“There will be a creation of a fund, either a cancer treatment fund or whatever we decide to call it. It is important and can be driven by investment or donation,” the minister had said. (NAN)
Nigeria and seven other African countries have begun a project to check HIV in the continent.
The project is tagged, Bringing Innovation to cLinical and Laboratory research to end HIV In Africa through New vaccine Technology (BRILLIANT) for HIV vaccine research and development.
Prof Alash’le Abimiku, Executive Director, International Research Centre of Excellence, Institute of Human Virology (IHVN), disclosed this at a press briefing on Thursday in Abuja.
The theme of the briefing was, “HIV Vaccine, Innovation, Science, and Technology Acceleration in Africa (HIV-VISTA) study.
”Abimiku said that the countries involved were Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, and Mozambique.
She said that the objective of the consortium is to evaluate HIV vaccine candidates emanating from the continent.
She added that the initiative was to harness and catalyse African scientists to contribute to an effective HIV vaccine.
“Through these efforts, African institutions will be encouraged to become more autonomous, generate domestic resource support, and form partnerships with the private sector.
“It will possibly create a more sustainable system for HIV vaccine research and development, which is progressively and inordinately dependent on the U.S government,” she said.
She expressed optimism that the partnership will acknowledge the potential of great innovation and science from Africa to solve global health challenges especially those that disproportionally devastate the continent.
Dr Temitope Ilori, Director-General, National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), said that HIV still persisted in spite of efforts at controlling it, hence the need for new tools for prevention.
“The agency has continued to provide preventive measures, but an effective vaccine is crucial to our efforts.
“The BRILLIANT study offers hope for a vaccine tailored to the needs of our population, and Nigeria’s involvement in this global initiative is critical.
“Our participation supports both local and international efforts to end AIDS and brings us closer to a vaccine that could save countless lives across Africa and beyond,” she said.
She said that the BRILLIANT study exemplified the strength of global collaboration and scientific progress.
“Together, we can achieve our shared goal of eradicating HIV worldwide, and Nigeria is honoured to play a vital role in this endeavor,” she said.
Dr Ezekiel James, the Deputy Director of the office of HIV/TB from U.S. Agency for International Development (USAIDS), said that the study offered opportunity for stakeholders to combine efforts to achieve HIV epidemic control.
Similarly, Dr Leo Zekeng, UNAIDS Country Director, stressed the need to engage the community to create awareness of HIV vaccines and similar research that continues to break HIV transmission rates.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) had, on Tuesday, named HIV, malaria, Tuberculosis, and 14 other pathogens as top priorities for new vaccine development.
Also, according to UNAIDS, there are an estimated 39.9 million people living with HIV across the globe in 2023, with an estimated 1.3 million new infections.
Africa has about 25.9 million (65 per cent) of the global burden with Nigeria, contributing about 1.9 million, making it the fourth largest HIV burden country globally.
The USAIDS awarded more than 45 million dollars to the BRILLIANT consortium through a competitive process to implement a cooperative agreement under the BRILLIANT project. (NAN)
The World Health Organisation (WHO) unveiled Nigeria’s first-ever Climate Health Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment Report (VA) during the Health Sector-Wide Joint Annual Review (JAR 2024) on Friday in Abuja.
The report underscores the urgent need for resilient health systems in the face of mounting climate risks.
The JAR serves as a vital platform for driving the Sector Wide Approach (SWAp) in Nigeria.
Delivering a goodwill message, Dr Walter Mulombo, WHO’s Head of Mission and Country Representative for Nigeria, said that climate change was the 21st century’s greatest health threat.
Mulombo expressed WHO’s continued dedication to Nigeria’s journey towards a climate-resilient health future.
“Rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and shifting disease patterns are already straining health systems, livelihoods, and well-being, especially among vulnerable populations.
“Together, we can protect Nigerians from the risks of a changing climate by building a health system that prioritizes resilience.” he said.
The report projects that climate factors could soon account for up to 21 per cent of Nigeria’s disease burden, underscoring the urgency of transformative action.
It serves as a foundational step for developing Nigeria’s Health National Adaptation Plan (HNAP), a strategic framework to guide national policies in mitigating climate-related health risks.
The WHO collaborated with the Nigerian government, FCDO, World Bank, and UNICEF to produce the report, which aligns with the Paris Agreement and COP26 Health Programme.
Since 2021, WHO has supported Nigeria’s commitment to a sustainable and climate-resilient health system, reinforcing initiatives like the training of over 382 health workers across all states on climate-health impacts.
This effort aims to build a strong health infrastructure capable of withstanding climate shocks, benefiting all Nigerians.
Report says that several local and international stakeholders, including donors and civil society organizations, were present at the launch event.
Several stakeholders applauded the new approach, with some stressing the importance of community engagement in the implementation of the reforms.(NAN)
Hundreds of millions of children and adolescents around the world face daily violence in their homes, schools, and elsewhere which could have lifelong consequences.The World Health Organisation (WHO) said this on Thursday.The violence includes being hit by family members, being bullied at school, as well as physical, emotional, and sexual violence, WHO said.
In most cases, violence occurs behind closed doors. More than half of those aged two to 17 or more than a billion minors in total experience violence each year according to the WHO. In three out of five children and adolescents, it is physical violence at home, with one in five girls and one in seven boys experiencing sexual violence.Between a quarter and half of minors are affected by bullying according to the information provided.Only half of the children reportedly talk about their experiences of violence and less than 10 per cent receive help.Lifelong consequences could include depression and anxiety disorders, or tobacco and drug use.As a result, many children do not reach their learning potential in school.Against the backdrop of being highly preventable, violence remains a horrific day-to-day reality for millions of children around the world leaving scars that span generations,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director general.The UN’s first conference on violence against children opened in Bogota, Columbia on Thursday.At the two-day conference, more than 100 countries pledged to find ways to better support overwhelmed parents and introduce school programmes against bullying and for healthy social behaviour.They also pledged to raise the minimum age for marriage.Some countries wish to generally ban children from being hit at school or home. (dpa/NAN)
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