The Nigeria Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) convened its highly anticipated National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on the 1st of February, 2024 in Abuja, bringing together health professionals from across the nation to discuss fundamental issues facing the healthcare sector and explore innovations that will help to accelerate progress towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Nigeria.
The theme of this year’s NEC meeting, “Attaining Universal Health Coverage (UHC) & Optimal Medical Training in the Face of a Challenging Economy: Could Technology be the Answer?” highlighted the pressing need for innovative solutions through technology in the wake of economic challenges.
The 2024 edition of the NEC meeting featured key health sector stakeholders. These include Dr. Ipalibo Harry-Banigo, Chairman, Senate Committee on Health; Mrs. Kachollom Daju, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health; and Dr. Uche Rowland Ojinmah, President of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) amongst others.
Through panel discussions, pivotal insights into financing options for achieving UHC in Nigeria were identified by stakeholders. Among the strategies highlighted by Kafayat Alawode, the Program Coordinator of DGI Consult are proposals to earmark a proportion of health taxes, telecoms taxes, charges from diaspora remittances, National Social Investment Program and Value Added Tax (VAT) to finance the Vulnerable Group Fund established by the National Health Insurance Authority Act 2022, to pave the way for expanding coverage and access to healthcare.
Beyond financial strategies for expanding access to healthcare, the discussions also identified some key technological innovations to be leveraged to promote healthcare service delivery. Some of these innovations include: (a) online digital platform for ease of health insurance enrollment; (b) electronic medical records for seamless access to enrollees’ medical history; (c) biometric attendance tracking technology (BATT) currently being used in Gombe State to monitor health workers absenteeism among others.
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