The federal government and private sector stakeholders have launched a new initiative aimed at expanding access to affordable healthcare for vulnerable populations, according to a report by Vanguard.
The programme, known as the Inclusive Health Insurance Enrolment Programme, was introduced through a collaboration between the Global Health Charity and Training Foundation and the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria at an event held in Lagos.
Speaking at the launch, Executive Director of the Global Health Charity and Training Foundation, Dr Adebayo Akintobi, said the initiative seeks to improve healthcare delivery while enrolling underserved Nigerians into existing insurance schemes.
“This initiative is put together by GHCTF in collaboration with PSHAN. Doctors in the diaspora are bringing their expertise back home to help build capacity among colleagues in secondary and teaching hospitals,” he said.
Akintobi noted that the foundation had already carried out medical outreach efforts as part of the programme’s rollout.
“In addition, about 50 gastro-colonoscopies and endoscopies were conducted to screen for colon cancer. We also worked with medical personnel to build sustainable capacity,” he added, referencing earlier interventions that included dozens of surgical procedures.
Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, said the initiative could help address low insurance coverage in the country.
“Currently, less than five per cent of Nigerians are enrolled in health insurance. I encourage citizens to enrol through their nearest centres,” she said.
Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, described the programme as a timely intervention in improving access to care. “Access to quality healthcare should not be a privilege for a few but a fundamental right for all,” she said.
The initiative is expected to support enrolment into state-backed health insurance schemes while strengthening healthcare services across primary, secondary and tertiary levels.
WHAT THIS MEANS:
The programme could help expand Nigeria’s low health insurance coverage, particularly among vulnerable groups, while leveraging diaspora expertise to improve healthcare capacity and service delivery.
