… aims to increase financial protection and improve access to quality healthcare services.
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has reaffirmed its commitment to expanding access to quality healthcare for vulnerable Nigerians through targeted financing programmes, saying the country’s pursuit of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) extends beyond increasing health insurance enrolment to building an equitable system that leaves no one behind.
The NHIA said its interventions, anchored on the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund and other specialised programmes, are designed to improve access to essential health services while protecting poor and vulnerable households from catastrophic healthcare costs.
The NHIA disclosed this in a statement it issued on Tuesday.
It noted that the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) remains one of the key pillars of the Federal Government’s strategy to strengthen primary healthcare and provide essential health services to vulnerable populations across the country.
“Nigeria’s journey toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is not just about expanding health insurance coverage but building a system that protects the vulnerable, advances equity, and ensures no one is left behind.
“Through the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF), the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) continues to broaden access to essential care for vulnerable Nigerians across all 36 states and the FCT,” the statement partly read.
Beyond the BHCPF, the authority said it is implementing additional financing initiatives to support the ongoing Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative aimed at improving healthcare delivery nationwide.
It stated, “Beyond BHCPF, NHIA is deepening its equity mandate through targeted financing programmes aligned with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII). These interventions are designed to reach those most at risk of poor health outcomes and financial hardship.”
Highlighting the interventions, the NHIA noted, “These include: – Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, which provides the Basic Minimum Package of Health Services to vulnerable populations, including the poor, elderly, women at risk, children under five, internally displaced persons, and other underserved groups.
“NHIA Financing Access to Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC), which supports vulnerable women at risk of maternal complications, as well as sick newborns needing urgent care.
“The Fistula-Free Programme (FFP), which provides support for women living with obstetric fistula. Global Fund financial access programmes, which extend coverage to key populations, including people living with HIV and those affected by Tuberculosis.”
Reaffirming its commitment to universal health coverage, the NHIA said, “At NHIA, we are expanding coverage, protecting households, and improving access to quality care for those who need it most. This is a public health and financial protection imperative.”
In recent times, the Federal Government has continued to prioritise Universal Health Coverage as part of broader reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system.
Through the NHIA, the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund and the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, the government aims to increase financial protection, reduce out-of-pocket healthcare spending and improve access to quality healthcare services, particularly for vulnerable and underserved populations across the country.
