WHO estimates 80 per cent of Nigeria’s population falls into poverty
Written by News Room on July 27, 2022
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated that about 80 per cent of Nigeria’s population has fallen into poverty as they struggle to pay hospital bills.
This was just as the Senate on Tuesday considered two critical bills seeking to tackle poverty and put a stop to intellectual property theft in the country.
WHO Technical Officer on Health Financing, Dr. Francis Nwachukwu Ukwuije, who revealed this while speaking at a meeting with management of the Nigeria Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), in Abuja on Tuesday, said the country could make healthcare more affordable and accessible.
He further said efforts at implementing compulsory health insurance in Nigeria was as important as advancing development of the country.
The WHO team was at the NHIA headquarters to kick-start engagement that would ensure proper and effective implementation of the newly enacted law on mandatory health insurance for Nigerians.
While welcoming the WHO team, the Director General of the NHIA, Prof. Mohammed Sambo said that together with his management, they would be able to set the right template to drive an all-inclusive health insurance financing for Nigeria, adding that the team would oversee the setting up of critical building block of the healthcare delivery system in Nigeria.
Ango Bally
