The Federal Government is reviewing the impact of its health financing interventions as Nigerians continue to shoulder substantial out-of-pocket medical expenses despite the expansion of health insurance coverage.
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) said the government had released about N235 billion through the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) over the past three years, making it increasingly important to establish whether the investment is delivering measurable improvements in healthcare services.
The Authority disclosed this ahead of the inaugural Nigeria Health Financing Research and Learning Forum, which commenced in Abuja on September 28.
According to the NHIA, health insurance enrolment has increased to more than 23 million people, but the high level of direct household spending on healthcare means many families remain vulnerable to significant medical bills.
The two-day forum is bringing together policymakers, researchers, healthcare professionals and health financing experts to examine how available resources can be allocated more efficiently and translated into better health outcomes.
The NHIA said the meeting forms part of wider Federal Government efforts to ensure that increased investment in healthcare produces improvements in access, quality of care and financial protection.
A major focus of the discussions is expected to be how evidence can guide decisions on which medicines, treatments and healthcare services should receive public funding, how healthcare providers should be paid and where limited resources can generate the greatest impact.
The forum is taking place against the backdrop of ongoing health-sector reforms coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare under the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate.
The reforms are aimed at expanding access to healthcare, strengthening financial protection, improving patient outcomes and ensuring greater value from public health expenditure.
The forum is themed, “Evidence and Learning for Nigeria’s Health Financing Future: Building a Locally Led Research and Learning Ecosystem.”
It will also examine how research findings and health data can be translated into practical decisions on healthcare financing and resource allocation.
One of the mechanisms already being applied by the NHIA is Health Technology Assessment, which helps policymakers evaluate the clinical and economic value of medicines, treatments and other health interventions before committing scarce resources.
The Authority said it had carried out assessments covering kidney replacement therapy, colorectal cancer screening and treatment for advanced liver cancer.
The NHIA said discussions at the forum would also identify gaps in available evidence and explore ways of strengthening the connection between research, financing decisions and outcomes experienced by patients.
The initiative is being organised through a collaboration involving the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, NHIA, Health Strategy and Delivery Foundation, Nigeria Health Watch and the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research.
Experts expected to participate include NHIA Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Kelechi Ohiri; Canada Research Chair in Health Economics at the University of Manitoba, Professor John Ataguba; Ghanaian health economist, Professor Justice Nonvignon; and Professor Chima Ariel Onoka of the University of Nigeria.
Others include Ethiopian health financing specialist Dr Girmaye Dinsa, Dr Kheya Furtado of India’s Goa Institute of Management, HSDF Managing Principal and health economist Dr Yewande Ogundeji, and NHIA Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Dr Kurfi Abubakar Muhammad.
The NHIA said the broader objective is to establish a stronger locally led research and learning system that can provide evidence for health financing decisions and help ensure that public expenditure produces tangible improvements in healthcare delivery and financial protection.
The review also comes as the government seeks to address the gap between expanding health financing investments and the continued financial burden faced by households when they require medical care.
