A major step toward improving public health financing in Nigeria has been announced as the Society for Family Health confirmed that it will support the enrolment of 1.9 million individuals living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus into the country’s national insurance system. The move marks one of the largest community-focused health financing transitions in Nigeria’s Human Immunodeficiency Virus response.
The Managing Director of the Society for Family Health, Doctor Omokhudu Idogho, disclosed this in a statement released on Friday. He explained that the organisation is deepening its partnership with the National Health Insurance Authority as the country moves into the next stage of integrating previously donor-funded Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Tuberculosis and Family Planning services into the national insurance platform. Okay News reports.
According to Doctor Idogho, the new implementation phase includes a nationwide mapping of facilities accredited by the National Health Insurance Authority, especially those capable of delivering Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Tuberculosis and Family Planning care. He clarified that the expanded support aims to improve the treatment of an estimated five hundred thousand Tuberculosis cases annually, now to be covered under the insurance scheme.
“SFH will also contribute to strengthening commodity supply and logistics for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Tuberculosis and Family Planning services within the insurance framework. It will also support NHIA in enhancing its Quality Assurance System to ensure adherence to national protocols and international best practices,” he stated.
Doctor Idogho explained that the partnership between both institutions deepened after a multi-stakeholder workshop in March 2023, during which the Society for Family Health and the National Health Insurance Authority worked with experts to define the full range of services for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Tuberculosis and Family Planning that would be integrated into insurance.
He added that the workshop produced comprehensive service outlines and created three technical working groups to refine the new insurance framework. By June 2023, the organisation, with guidance from the National Health Insurance Authority, engaged an internationally licensed health actuary. The expert carried out cost assessments across public and private health facilities in all six geopolitical zones, forming the foundation for a detailed actuarial model.
Doctor Idogho said stakeholders validated the model before it was presented to the National Health Insurance Authority leadership, which then used the findings to carry out a full actuarial analysis and revise the National Basic Minimum Package of Healthcare to include coverage for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Tuberculosis and Family Planning services.
He noted that the National Health Insurance Authority also reviewed and updated the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, leading to the launch of BHCPF 2.0, with a new benefit package that officially integrated comprehensive Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Tuberculosis and Family Planning interventions.
Reflecting on the broader mission of the Society for Family Health, Doctor Idogho emphasised that the organisation has spent over four decades addressing Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Tuberculosis, malaria and reproductive health challenges. However, with the steady reduction in international donor funding, long-term health financing stability became a priority, prompting the organisation to advocate for integrating these services into national insurance.
“This informed the organisation’s advocacy approach to NHIA, proposing the integration of these services into the national health insurance system. Following this advocacy, NHIA welcomed SFH’s proposal and requested technical assistance to design comprehensive benefit packages, conduct actuarial analyses, and develop resource mobilisation strategies,” Doctor Idogho said.
The collaboration was formalised in February 2023 through a Memorandum of Understanding, marking the beginning of what the Society for Family Health describes as a transformative partnership for the country’s healthcare system. During the announcement, the organisation also presented an award to the Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority, Doctor Kelechi Ohiri, applauding his leadership.
Nigeria currently has one of the world’s largest Human Immunodeficiency Virus epidemics, with around 1.8 to 2 million people living with the virus. The country’s Human Immunodeficiency Virus response has depended heavily on foreign donors such as the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the Global Fund. With both sources now reducing financial commitments, Nigeria is accelerating efforts to transition essential services into sustainable domestic funding platforms like the National Health Insurance Authority.
This shift has involved multiple multi-stakeholder consultations in 2023 and 2024, the development of actuarial costing models, updates to the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, and expansion of the National Basic Minimum Package of Healthcare, all geared toward achieving Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria.
