Universal Health Coverage – Nigeria Urged On 'Strategic Purchasing' for More Health Outcomes

As Nigeria strives towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC), stakeholders in the health sector have urged on strategic purchasing by ensuring that available resources are properly expended for health value.

They said proper utilisation of available resources will enable more Nigerians or the population at risk to access healthcare.

The global managing director, Results for Development Institute (R4D), Dr. Cheryl Cashin, who spoke at the policy dialogue on Strategic Purchasing Reforms and Primary Healthcare Financing, in Abuja, said strategic purchasing helps countries to get more value, more health outcomes for the money that have been put forward for healthcare services.

She urged the government to explore all the opportunities that can improve more resources for the country through the budgetary allocation.

"For strategic purchasing, we need to get more resources for health because currently, compared to many other countries, Nigeria still needs to do better but the government is going to start making efforts to get more resources for health. More importantly, we need to utilise this money better to get more value for the money and that will mean also more health outcomes for the money that we're currently spending," she said.

Director-general of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Prof. Mohammed Sambo, who was represented by the general manager, Finance and Account at the Authority, Mr John Okoh, said there is the need for institutionalisation of health sector reforms, coordination of all

stakeholder efforts, adequate and sustainable financing, political commitment at all levels of government and strategic harnessing the potentials of the private sector.

He said the goal of the NHIA is to ensure financial access to quality healthcare for all Nigerians, adding that with the support of R4D and other partners, the organisation is optimistic that the goal will be achieved.