NMA proposes new funding model for universal health coverage

The Nigerian Medical Association has recommended adopting healthcare centred at ward level as a panacea for achieving universal health coverage. According to the organogram of the Ward Health Organisation (wHO) community leaders preside over a health advisory council, which oversees household heads as health promoters in charge of enrolees in their homes. The wHO, along […]

The Nigerian Medical Association has recommended adopting healthcare centred at ward level as a panacea for achieving universal health coverage.

According to the organogram of the Ward Health Organisation (wHO) community leaders preside over a health advisory council, which oversees household heads as health promoters in charge of enrolees in their homes.

The wHO, along with health care providers and health management organisation (which comprise the insurance triangle) will be established at every geopolitical ward across the country, president of NMA, Dr Kayode Obembe, has recommended.

"Community based health insurance with foundation laid on wHO, health care providers and health management organisation…is the only way to sidetrack the financial obstacles caused by counterpart funding and lack of fiscal autonomy of local governments, he said in a statement marking International Universal Health Coverage Day on December 12.

Obembe lamented that tertiary health institutions take up 80 percent of health funding and staffing while primary health care harbours 80 percent of disease burden and less than 5 percent of health funding.

The wHO model recommends funds from premium paid by federal, state, local or community sources be channelled from National Health Insurance Scheme to communities, with the health management organisation as an accounting officer who reports back to the NHIS every month.

It also recommends benefit package should be based on health templates of the Millennium Development Goals.