95% of Nigerians still lack access to health insurance — Health Minister

TVCNews

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has said that 95 per cent of the Nigeria’s 190 million people are not enrolled in any health insurance plan, despite efforts by the Federal Government to improve health care delivery in the country.

Adewole made this known during the reunion of the 1998 set of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, where he also disclosed that Nigerians had not keyed into the various health insurance schemes the government had set up.

While speaking on the theme, ‘Health system’s improvement: Achieving universal health coverage’, he noted that government and individuals had roles to play in ensuring that the country achieved universal health coverage.

Even as he called on the private sector to also invest in health care, Adewole said that government ought to be responsible for the provision of funds, while individuals accessed the various insurance schemes.

He said, “For Nigeria to attain the position, it ought to be in global health care delivery. Government must ensure there is adequate funding, appropriation and release of funds for health care to align with the benchmark set by the World Health Organisation.

“The private sector should play their part because government alone cannot provide health care to the people. The Federal Government, ordinarily, should not be saddled with the construction of primary health care centres, it is the duty of local government.”

The minister advised Nigerians to key into the health insurance plan as out-of-pocket payment would not help to deliver quality health care.