Private sector participation as well strong regulatory framework have been described as two factors that can help drive Universal Health Coverage in Africa.
Adesimbo Ukiri, MD/CEO of Avon HMO, Nigeria’s foremost health management company made this assertion during the inaugural edition of the Africa Health Forum organized by the World Health Organisation, WHO, African Region in Rwanda from 27-28 June, 2017.
The event, themed “Putting People First: The Road to Universal Health Coverage in Africa”, was a platform for key players in Africa’s health ecosystem to discuss persistent challenges in public health as well as innovative strategies, partnerships and opportunities that can be leveraged in order to deliver Universal Health Coverage (UHC) as part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“Making Universal Healthcare Work in Africa – How Can the Private Sector Contribute.” according to Ukiri, “The most significant contribution the private companies like HMOs make to the achievement of UHC is the ability to pool resources together from all segments of the population and widen coverage to ensure that when the time comes for people to access healthcare services, they are not hindered by financial constraints that may lead to the needless loss of lives or catastrophic financial ruin.”
Speaking on the Nigerian experience, she stated that while health insurance is not yet mandatory in the country, stakeholders are advocating for a change in legislation to ensure that companies with up to five employees subscribe to a health insurance scheme for staff and their families.
She said: “The number of people contributing towards health insurance is still inadequate and almost insignificant – between 3 to 5% according to the National Health Insurance Scheme. This is disappointing, in spite of our country’s burgeoning middle income population. Putting legislation in place that makes health insurance compulsory will do a great deal to unlock all the potentials and the opportunities that exist, to widen and deepen coverage. It would also ensure that there is consistent, regular and adequate healthcare financing available for the delivery side of the healthcare value chain,” said Ukiri.
Ukiri therefore noted that with a population of about 180 million, the various government levels in Nigeria struggle and often do not have the resources necessary to meet the healthcare needs of its citizens.
“Private companies operating in the health insurance sector invest in setting up their own accreditation units in order to ensure that hospitals they contract with can deliver acceptable quality standards of service. Other investments made by HMOs are in the areas of marketing and public communication, as well as ICT infrastructure for data gathering and customer service delivery.”
“HMOs are on a mission to ensure that people are sufficiently sensitized to realise that their healthcare needs are important enough to set money aside for. Subscribing to a good health coverage plan enhances their overall lifestyle and improves quality of life.” She said.
Adesimbo added that beyond the enforceability of legal and regulatory frameworks, both the government and private sector organisations within the healthcare space must trust each other and work hand in hand in order to achieve significant success in the journey towards making Universal Health Coverage attainable.
To buttress her point on the viability and sustainability of such collaborations, Adesimbo shared an experience of how Avon HMO partnered with a major international oil company, community leaders and the local government to implement a community health scheme in Idemili, Eastern Nigeria. The scheme has alleviated the healthcare challenges in and is a source of succour to the community till date.
In about four years of operations, Avon HMO has distinguished itself as a leading health maintenance organisation in Nigeria. The company has been at the forefront of service delivery and innovation. It recently introduced online health subscription plans to improve access to healthcare in the country, the first of such initiatives in Nigeria.
