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NHIA Surpasses Target, Covers 18.7m Nigerians in Q2 2024 – DG
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The Nigerian Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) says it has made significant strides in expanding health insurance coverage across the country.
Dr Kelechi Ohiri, the Director-General of NHIA, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja during the inaugural Quarterly Performance Dialogue between the Federal Government, 36 State Governments, and key health sector stakeholders.
According to Ohiri, as of the second quarter of 2024, nearly 18.
7 million Nigerians were covered by health insurance, surpassing the target set for the period by an impressive 11 per cent.He said that this achievement highlighted the NHIA’s dedication to achieving universal health coverage (UHC).
“The authority’s vision is centered on bridging the gap in healthcare access for millions of Nigerians and enhancing the overall quality of care.
“Despite this progress, several challenges persist,” he said.
He said that one of the significant challenges identified was the uneven distribution of coverage, particularly the disparity between the formal and informal sectors.
To tackle these challenges, Ohiri said that the NHIA had outlined a strategic plan for the future.
He mentioned that the authority aimed to leverage data and technology to enhance service delivery and patient outcomes.
He said that the NHIA was optimising operations and fostering citizen engagements in its commitment to improving healthcare access.
“The Authority has set an ambitious target to cover 20 million Nigerians by 2027, a goal that underscores its comprehensive vision for universal health coverage in the country,” he disclosed.
According to him, the positive trend in health insurance coverage is a crucial step towards ensuring more Nigerians can access quality healthcare.
“The authority’s focused approach and commitment to addressing current challenges positions it as a vital player in the journey towards universal health coverage in Nigeria,” he added.
Report says that at the inaugural Quarterly Performance Dialogue, the first quarter, maternal and child health indicators across Nigeria were discussed.
The latest health scorecard findings reveal a complex picture of progress and challenges.
While there have been improvements in some areas, significant issues persist, particularly in antenatal care attendance and data quality.
The report indicates a positive trend in skilled birth attendance (SBA) coverage, with improvements seen in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the third quarter of 2023.
This suggests that more women are receiving professional care during childbirth, which is crucial for reducing maternal and infant mortality rates.
However, the coverage rates for the first antenatal care visit (ANC-1) have fallen below 80 per cent in most states. The drop-off in SBA coverage compared to ANC-1 is particularly concerning.
The highest coverage rates for ANC-1 are observed in the Northeast, while the North-Central region lags behind.
The decline in ANC-1 visit coverage in all states from the third quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024 raises alarms.
Some states reported coverage rates exceeding 100 per cent in the third quarter of 2023, suggesting issues with data accuracy.
Moreover, coverage for the fourth antenatal visits has generally been higher according to the 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey/National Immunisation Coverage Survey (MICS/NICS) compared to reports from the District Health Information System (DHIS-2).
A reduction in ANC-4 coverage compared to ANC-1 highlights significant challenges in ensuring continuity of care for pregnant women.
Most states reported lower ANC-4 coverage in the first quarter of 2024 than in the third quarter of 2023, indicating that many women are not receiving the recommended number of antenatal visits.
The scorecard also points to inconsistencies in vaccination coverage.
The Penta-3 vaccine coverage, critical for protecting children against diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus, was lower in the 2021 MICS/NICS survey compared to DHIS-2 reports.
Additionally, some states reported Penta-3 coverage rates above 100 percent in Q1 2024, again highlighting potential data quality issues.
On a positive note, all states reported that more than 70 per cent of malaria cases were treated with Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT).
However, some states recorded ACT treatment rates above 100 per cent, suggesting discrepancies in the reported data. (NAN)
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Petrol Price Hike: Residents Stranded as Transporters Protest in Ilorin
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Several commercial transport operators in Ilorin on Thursday stormed some major streets in the metropolis to protest the new hike in petrol pump price.
During the protest, they expressed their displeasure with the sudden price hike, with the action leading to untold hardship for thousands of commuters.
The protests which commenced on Thursday morning significantly disrupted the movement of commercial vehicles across the city.
This forced passengers to resolve to trekking to their destinations.
The protest was spearheaded by some operators of commercial tricycles and commercial motorcycle riders who blocked several major roads in the city.
The road blocks occurred at Taiwo Isale, Coca-Cola road Junction, Maraba, Gambari Road and Offa Garage, bringing traffic to a standstill for several hours.
Consequently, commuters faced severe delays as the protesters restricted vehicular movements, demanding immediate action to address the situation.
Jimoh Abubakar, a commercial tricycle operator who spoke with newsmen at Maraba, revealed that the protest was because of the sudden hike in fuel pump price.
Abubakar said the increase was unfair, adding that transporters hardly made profit due to money spent on fuel.
“In fact, when we were charging N50 per drop, it was more profitable than now. The hardship is too much, the government should help us,” he said.
Another tricycle rider, Yusuf Issa, also called on government to reduce fuel pump price, saying tricycle riders now spend all their income on fuel.
“They (government) should reduce it totally. It is becoming very difficult to make any profit, not to talk of taking care of the family from what we do for a living,” he said.
The focal points of the protest, such as Maraba and Murtala Mohammed Way Junction, witnessed aggrieved transporters chanting “(We say) ‘No’ to consistent price hike”.
Security operatives, including personnel of the Nigerian Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), were deployed to key areas in the metropolis to ease the tension and ensure orderliness.
The presence of security agents helped to prevent any escalation into violence and ensured that the protest remained largely peaceful in spite of the significant disruptions to daily activities.
The protest caused widespread disruption as residents who relied on public transport as they were stranded and could not go for their daily activities.
Many of them later resolved to trekking to their various destinations.
Report says that most independent petroleum marketers in Kwara now sell at different prices ranging from N950 to N1200 per litre.(NAN)
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Anti-bullet Charm Trial: Native Doctor in Police Net for Allegedly killing Client
Police in Edo have detained a 19-year-old native doctor, Timothy Dauda, for allegedly shooting his client, Alex Ezekiel, to death during an “anti-bullet” charm trial.The Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Moses Yamu, confirmed the incident to Newsmen on Monday.Yamu said that the incident happened on August 20 in Onumu Community, near Igara, Akoko Edo Local Government Area of the state.
He said that the suspect was arrested by operatives from Igarra Divisional Police Station in Akoko-Edo. The suspect allegedly claimed to specialise in preparing charms against gunshots and machete cuts.A source further told NAN that the deceased had visited the native doctor’s home to obtain the charm.It said that “in a shocking turn of events”, Dauda attempted to test the efficacy of the charm by shooting the client with a gun.The charm was said to have failed as he sustained fatal injuries.“When he was rushed to a hospital in Igarra, he was pronounced dead by a medical doctor,” the source further said.Meanwhile, the police spokesman said that the suspect would face prosecution as soon as investigations were concluded(NANUncategorized
Police Arrest 2 for Allegedly Robbing Commercial Sex Workers in Lagos
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The Police Command in Lagos State says it has arrested two men for allegedly robbing three commercial sex workers.
The Command’s Spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the arrest to newsmen on Saturday.
Hundeyin said that the three sex workers reported the case to the police on Wednesday at about 2.
20a.m.He disclosed that the victims reported that they sighted two robbery suspects at an undisclosed place, who allegedly robbed them of their valuables on Aug.
23, at about 4.30a.m.“They stated they were picked up being commercial sex workers at Adeniran Ogunsanya Street, Bode Thomas, Surulere by the two suspects.
“They were taken to where they claimed the (suspects) lodged.
Suddenly, the suspects parked and ordered them to surrender their valuables.“In the process, two Iphone valued at N1.05 million, one REDMI Note 12 valued at N140,000, Iphone SR valued at N240,000 were collected from them.
“The suspects also compelled the victims to transfer ₦25,OOO to an Opay Account and N8, 000 to same account,” he said.
The police spokesperson said that during investigation, the suspects confessed to the crime.
He disclosed that the suspects operational vehicle, a Toyota Camry with Reg. No. APP335 JA, two other blank number plates they were using for their operation were recovered.
Hundeyin said that one of the victim’s cell phone, REDMI NOTE 12, was also recovered from the suspects, while investigation was ongoing. (NAN)