7,500 women received free VVF treatments under NHIA initiative – DG
The Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, on Wednesday, told the House of Representatives Committee on Health Services that over 7,500 women have benefitted from free Vesicovaginal Fistula (VVF) repairs and emergency obstetric services under the agency’s expanded maternal care programme. Dr. Ohiri, who briefed lawmakers during an interactive session […]
The Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, on Wednesday, told the House of Representatives Committee on Health Services that over 7,500 women have benefitted from free Vesicovaginal Fistula (VVF) repairs and emergency obstetric services under the agency’s expanded maternal care programme.
Dr. Ohiri, who briefed lawmakers during an interactive session at the National Assembly, said the intervention is part of the NHIA’s Fistula-Free Initiative and Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric Care (CEmOC) services aimed at tackling maternal health challenges among vulnerable populations.
Providing details, the NHIA boss said 2,690 women had undergone successful obstetric fistula repairs at 17 specialised centres, while an additional 5,289 accessed emergency obstetric care across more than 200 facilities nationwide as of May 2025.
He said the maternal health interventions reflect the agency’s growing commitment to equitable health care access, especially for women in rural and underserved areas.
The NHIA, according to Dr. Ohiri, is also scaling up health insurance enrolment, with national coverage now exceeding 20 million people, up from 16.8 million in 2023 and putting the country on course to surpass the 2027 universal health coverage target.
“Our reforms are not just about numbers. We are addressing service delivery challenges head-on, introducing stricter HMO compliance measures, faster authorisation protocols, and improved beneficiary rights protection,” he told the lawmakers.
He added that the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) currently supports about 2.67 million people, including 800,000 newly enrolled in 2025.
The DG also disclosed that NHIA has, for the first time, integrated donor-funded services into its insurance pool, with pilot programmes offering coverage for people living with HIV and tuberculosis in five states.
Chairman of the House Committee on Health Services, Rep. Amos Gwamna Magaji, commended the NHIA’s efforts but called for stronger public engagement, including hotlines across facilities for prompt complaint resolution.
He also urged the DG to provide the committee with detailed and verifiable data of women beneficiaries under the fistula and obstetric care initiatives.
Dr. Ohiri assured the lawmakers of continued transparency and pledged to further strengthen NHIA’s maternal health drive.