NHIA to assess whether N235bn health fund is improving care
The National Health Insurance Authority says the Federal Government has released N235bn through the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund over three years, while out-of-pocket spending remains high. A new forum will examine how evidence can guide funding, provider payments and treatment decisions to improve access and financial protection.
The National Health Insurance Authority is to review the impact of Nigeria’s health-financing investments as households continue to face high out-of-pocket medical costs, despite the release of N235bn through the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund over three years. The authority disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday ahead of the inaugural Nigeria Health Financing Research & Learning Forum, which begins on Monday, September 28. The NHIA said health-insurance enrolment had increased to more than 23 million.
However, it said the growth in coverage had not eliminated the financial pressure faced by patients and their families. The two-day forum will bring together policymakers, researchers, healthcare professionals and health-financing experts from Nigeria and other countries. Participants are expected to consider how limited resources can be used more effectively.
According to the NHIA, discussions will cover the use of evidence in deciding which treatments and services should receive funding, how healthcare providers should be paid and where resources can produce the greatest impact. The forum is part of broader health reforms coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. The reforms are focused on expanding access, improving financial protection, raising patient outcomes and securing better value from health spending.
The NHIA said Health Technology Assessment was increasingly being used to determine whether medicines, treatments and other interventions delivered benefits sufficient to justify their costs. It said assessments had been conducted on kidney replacement therapy, colorectal cancer screening and advanced liver-cancer treatment. The initiative is being organised with the ministry, NHIA, Health Strategy and Delivery Foundation, Nigeria Health Watch and the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research.
The authority said the overall aim was to link research and financing decisions to measurable improvements in patient care.
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