Nigeria has held primary health care as the official foundation of its national health policy since 1986, but the passage of legislation in 2014 and the signing of the National Health Insurance by the President gave legal backing to the standard service package. It took nearly 30 years to give. “Every citizen shall have the right to basic minimum medical services…” is defined as “a range of medical services prescribed by the Minister from time to time after consultation with the National Health Council”. It has been. The minimum package should reflect Nigeria’s minimum core obligations in health care, the constitutional right to life and human dignity. This definition is important for costing and financing the minimum package. Legislative bodies are urged to use their oversight powers to push the Health Minister to facilitate the definition of this package.
This is because Section 1 of the National Health Insurance Authority Act establishes the National Health Insurance Authority and Section 3 provides for the functions of promoting, consolidating and regulating all health insurance schemes operating in Nigeria. even more essential. Ensure health insurance is compulsory for all Nigerians and legal residents. Implement a basic minimum health service package for all Nigerians across all health insurance schemes operated in the country, including federal, state, FCT and private health insurance schemes. Providing equitable access to healthcare for all Nigerians is clearly central to the country’s National Health Act. However, Nigeria’s healthcare system does not rank in terms of access and quality any more than it does in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index.
The problem of lack of access to quality health care is associated with the wasteful use of primary care services in referral centers. In rural areas where the burden of disease morbidity and mortality is high, the lack of well-functioning primary health centers (PHCs), poor or inadequate cost-sharing schemes, and deceptive practices in health care hinder efficient health care. Health care spending and access to services are hampered. sector.
To curb these problems, it would be useful to consider policy options such as PHC renewal and prioritizing the provision of basic minimal healthcare packages. Moreover, implementing strong action to tackle corruption in the health sector will improve access to care and health outcomes and will not incur additional financial investment. This can be achieved by improving public financial management and curbing corruption through the right choice of resource allocation for pro-poor interventions. Likewise, well-designed packages of services and prioritization of primary care that maximizes human resources are beneficial. This is relevant to the Nigerian health system, leveraging the country’s decentralized administration and strengthening the role of regional health boards in ensuring accountability and transparency in PHC. Also, given the role played by the Community Health Board in facilitating the needs of rural communities, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has established a partnership for the provision of health care between this board and respective PHC facilities. You can coordinate the development of action plans. .
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This promotes efficient use of resources and facilitates access to quality healthcare at each facility. Strategic actions such as PHC renewal and prioritization of basic minimum package deliveries by national and state-led insurance schemes are critical in closing policy gaps to optimize healthcare delivery. But without strong action against corruption in Nigeria, UHC remains ambitious and unrealistic. PHC renewal is in line with global recommendations as an efficient route to UHC, but the economic realities of the country make it less feasible. Similarly, prioritizing basic minimum packages through state operationalization of cost-sharing schemes will support broader coverage, although state implementation has lagged. This is an appropriate call for action in the health sector and can be done through an early vulnerability assessment of the health sector.
More local evidence needs to be generated to guide concrete steps, but this is not the case by ensuring appropriate sanctions for corruption where necessary to produce a measurable impact. Political support is also essential in promoting policies.
- Okeke is contributing from the Social Justice Center of Nigeria (CSJ).
