Nigeria’s health system ranks 197 of WHO’s 200 nations – NHIS
By Gabriel Enogholase
BENIN—SOUTH – SOUTH Coordinator of the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, Prince Nasiru Ikharo, has said that with Nigeria allocating less than five percent of its annual budget to the health sector as against 15 percent recommended by the World Health Organisation, WHO, the country’s health system now ranks 197th of the 200 nations covered by WHO.
Saying that the country’s poor health ranking was as a result of its weak National Health System, he noted that whereas the WHO recommends $34,00 per capita income on health, Nigeria spends only $944 per capita.
Ikharo spoke at the Customs, Nigeria Immigration Services, NIS, Prisons, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC and Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC enrollees forum in Benin, Edo State, yesterday.
Said that the WHO report also indicated that 58 percent of women have full Anti –Natal Care coverage while only 39 percent of births were assisted by skilled health professionals.
The South_ South Zonal Coordinator who was represented at the Forum by Dr. Chidoziem Egwuonun, said the report indicated that the risk of a woman dying from child birth was 1 in 18 in Nigeria compared to 1 in 6 for all developing countries and 1 in 800 in developed countries while only 23 percent of children (12 _23 months) received full course of immunization against childhood killer diseases.
On the activities of NHIS since it came into existence through Act 35 of 1999, Prince Ikharo disclosed that over 4.5million enrollees are now accessing their healthcare through the Scheme.
He added that the NHIS has developed operational guidelines and protocols just as it has accredited 8,000 health facilities across the country and 61 HMOS to run the Scheme.
Besides, he disclosed the NHIS has developed blue prints for implementing the informal sector programme and MDGs subsidy funding for pregnant women and children under _5 in Bauchi, Bayelsa, Cross River, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Katsina, Niger, Ondo, Sokoto, Oyo and Yobe states.
He listed the benefit packages for enrollees under the NHIS to include the preventive, promotive and curative services at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels of the health sector.
He disclosed that a Bill which would compare the Federal government to allocate one percent of its total annual budget to NHIS for the implementation of its programme was already before the National Assembly.
