- Guarantee for 55 million Nigerians
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Presidential Health Sector Reforms Committee in Nigeria has recommended that the share of total healthcare expenditure following through Nigeria’s health insurance schemes must be more than 10 per cent.
It further recommended healthcare guarantees for 55 million Nigerians captured in the National Social Register.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who is the Chairman of the Presidential Health Sector Reforms Committee, stated this on Wednesday while presenting the report of the Committee shortly before the commencement of the valedictory meeting of the Federal Executive Council presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The National Health Register currently has 12 million registered households, which is equivalent to about 55 million individual Nigerians.
According to Osinbajo, the committee was fully aware of the governance and institutional arrangement of the reform programme, and its proposal of a number of institutional changes.
“We have proposed a number of institutional changes including the establishment of the National Tertiary Health Institutions Commission whose functions will be similar to that of the National Universities Commission and a National Quality and Healthcare Standards Commission.
“In view of obvious funding constraints, the committee hesitated to recommend new institutions; however, on the balance, we agreed that for us to make progress in our human development agenda, these institutions were essential.
“Other recommendations range from issues such as brain drain to the expansion of access to primary healthcare services, medical tourism and mobilisation or leveraging private capital for health investments as well as their role in the expansion of the supply of health workers in the medium and long term.
“Finally, this report proposes that vaccine manufacturing in Nigeria should be seen from the perspective of a national health security imperative rather purely as a commodity production.”
Osinbajo, while acknowledging the difficulties that could be encountered in the implementation of the report, said the committee proposed the setting up of a programme delivery unit in the Office of the President.
“Mr. President, we do not have any illusions that these reports are easy to implement; beyond the financing requirements, there will be need for global expertise and collaborations.
“In this regard, local and international development partners will be much needed.
“For this and other purposes, we have proposed the setting of a programme delivery unit in the Office of the President.
“This independent but empowered unit will monitor and drive the report; important parts of the report are the draft National Health Amendment Bill and the draft amendments of other relevant bills.”
Structural reforms
According to Vice President Osinbajo, the committee is mindful that investing in health will enable Nigeria to unlock its immense potentials and ensure that all Nigerians, regardless of their social status can access quality health services.
He added that the committee realised that this would require structural reforms; hence the intentional effort to cover the poor and ensure the mobilisation of large amount of private investments.
He added that one of the insights that confronted the committee was how the structure of the Nigerian federation unwittingly contributes to poor health outcomes, saying that the report has addressed this challenge in three ways.
“First is the use of National Accountability Agreement on health performance.
“Second is the proposal for a National Partnership Agreement on Health Sector Reform Recommendations to be signed by all states and the FCT.
“Third is the strengthening of institutional arrangements for pandemic preparedness and response. This strengthening of institutional arrangements will be a national arrangement.”
The vice president said the essence of the report was the achievement of Universal Health Coverage for Nigerians.
“This is to be realised through the prioritisation of government spending on health and boosting of per capita health expenditure by scaling up the National Health Insurance System as the preferred public financing arrangement.
“This approach is one where the national or state health insurance authorities would benefit from the general budget transfers from the relevant federal or state governments.”
President Buhari approved the setting up of the Presidential Health Sector Reform Committee, for the development and implementation of a Health Sector Reform programme for Nigeria.
The committee worked in collaboration with State Governments and the FCT administration.
