NHIA finances emergency childbirth care for 90,000 women in 18 months — Official

The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) says about 90,000 women have benefited from its emergency obstetric care programme over the previous 18 months.

The Director-General of the NHIA, Kelechi Ohiri, disclosed this on Thursday on the 2026 Future of Health Conference organised by Nigeria Health Watch in Abuja.

The convention, themed “From Innovation to Impact: The Future of Health is Now”, brings collectively policymakers, well being professionals, researchers, traders and growth companions to debate how you can scale up efficient well being improvements and enhance healthcare supply in Nigeria.

Mr Ohiri stated the programme was designed to stop women experiencing issues throughout childbirth from being denied or delayed therapy as a result of they might not afford hospital payments.

He stated the initiative coated accredited hospitals throughout all states, with extra services being enrolled.

“About 300 hospitals across the country, fully accredited, every state, and more being added daily, where any woman that has a complication in childbirth, no questions asked. The treatment will be financed and paid for by the NHIA,” he stated.

He stated the intervention was obligatory as a result of women experiencing issues throughout childbirth might face harmful delays when hospitals request deposits and their households battle to boost the cash.

Mr Ohiri stated the intervention was developed after the federal government recognised that it couldn’t wait till each Nigerian was coated by medical insurance earlier than addressing preventable maternal deaths.

He stated the programme was among the many approaches the federal government had adopted to handle particular gaps in healthcare supply whereas broader medical insurance protection was being expanded.

“Does it mean that people are not dying? Well, no. But it means that story doesn’t have to end in human pain,” he stated.

He stated the federal government wanted to take accountability for addressing boundaries that stop folks from receiving well timed healthcare.

Fistula therapy

Mr Ohiri additionally stated roughly 6,000 women had obtained therapy for obstetric fistula by an intervention financed by the NHIA with assist from different companions.

Obstetric fistula is an irregular opening between the beginning canal and the bladder or rectum that may develop following extended or obstructed labour. It may cause persistent leakage of urine or faeces and expose affected women to stigma and social exclusion.

The situation is commonly preventable and will be handled, however entry to therapy stays a problem for women who can’t afford care.

Mr Ohiri stated the intervention had helped women entry therapy and regain their dignity.

“Roughly 6,000 women have had their lives turned around because a disease that is mostly curable and treatable but that eroded them of any form of life and dignity has been corrected and paid for,” he stated.

Future of Health Conference

The Future of Health Conference is Nigeria Health Watch’s flagship annual gathering, established in 2015 to deliver collectively stakeholders to debate insurance policies, partnerships and improvements able to bettering healthcare in Nigeria.

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Its earlier editions have examined common well being protection, well being know-how, healthcare funding, high quality of care, well being innovation, gender equality, and the position of the non-public sector in strengthening the well being system.

According to the organisers, this yr’s programme contains 10 audio system, 4 innovation showcases and three aspect occasions designed to encourage collaboration amongst policymakers, innovators, traders and growth companions.

The discussions are supposed to determine sensible methods to increase efficient healthcare interventions, strengthen native capability and enhance entry to high quality and inexpensive healthcare.

Nigeria Health Watch is a not-for-profit well being communications and advocacy organisation that promotes evidence-informed decision-making and coverage motion to enhance well being outcomes in Nigeria.