By Aduragbemi Omiyale

To achieve a malaria-free Nigeria, a leading Health Maintenance Organisation (HMO) with a robust nationwide presence, SUNU Health Nigeria Limited, has called for a wider adoption of HMO packages for citizens.

It stressed that managed care provides a critical safety net, ensuring families can access quality preventive services without the burden of immediate, high costs, adding that this structured approach transforms healthcare from an unpredictable expense into a manageable, guaranteed service.

The company, which officially unveiled a comprehensive strategic roadmap aimed at drastically cutting down on malaria-related deaths, emphasised that the disease can be eradicated if citizens and stakeholders adopt consistent preventive measures.

“Eradication is within our reach if we synchronise our efforts,” the chief operating officer of SUNU Health, Dr Faith Nwachi, said, noting that the tools for victory range from environmental hygiene to the consistent use of treated nets, which are easily accessible to every Nigerian.

The organisation noted that it came up with the latest framework to significantly reduce the disease burden that has historically hindered Nigeria’s productivity and public health stability.

The urgency of this intervention is underscored by concerning data from late 2025, which revealed a sharp upward trend in cases, it stated.

With over 24.5 million confirmed cases reported in the first nine months of last year alone, the 2026 landscape demands aggressive action. Currently, malaria remains a leading cause of mortality, responsible for approximately 30 per cent of child deaths and 11 per cent of maternal deaths annually.

A central pillar of the roadmap is a focus on preventative care. As of early 2026, according to the World Health Organisation, malaria still accounts for nearly 30 per cent of all hospital admissions in Nigeria.

By addressing the root causes and transmission cycles, SUNU Health seeks to drastically lower these statistics, ensuring Nigerians can lead more active lives without the constant threat of infection.

Dr Nwachi further underscored the economic necessity of this shift, stating that “prevention is significantly cheaper than cure.”

The financial toll on the Nigerian economy is staggering, with billions of Naira lost annually to treatments and diminished man-hours. For the average family, frequent bouts of illness lead to catastrophic out-of-pocket expenses that undermine financial security.

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

Plans are underway by the Alternative Bank (AltBank) to present a policy brief to relevant government ministries, recommending vocational pathways, autism care financing options, and a 12-month Lagos pilot across selected schools and primary healthcare centres.

The recommendations are from the inaugural Autism Stakeholders Roundtable and Policy Dialogue in Lagos, organised by the lender in partnership with the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PSHAN), Eliakim Foundation, and Sterling One Foundation under the theme, It is How You Show Up.

The programme served as a critical platform to address the country’s fragmented autism support systems, with leading healthcare professionals, policymakers, and autism advocates in attendance, praising the financial institution’s decisive shift toward early intervention, systemic inclusion, and comprehensive capacity building for parents and caregivers.

The president of the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN) Lagos State Branch, Dr Ime Okon, stressed her group’s alignment with the bank’s initiatives.

“We recognise caregivers and families as central to the success of any intervention. We are showing up, holding their hands, to ensure they are never left to navigate this journey alone.

“For a physician, showing up means ensuring that a parent’s first concern is met with a strengthened, inclusive system rather than a clinical dead-end with no solution. The Alternative Bank has signalled a shift toward a high-level platform for national action,” she stated.

Validating this urgent need for systemic early response, the keynote speaker and founder of the Patrick Speech and Languages Centre (PSLC), Mrs Dotun Akande, advocated the integration of universal developmental screening into primary healthcare, stressing that Nigeria must transition from relying on parallel private centres to building a coordinated national response.

“What Nigeria must now build is a system where intervention happens early, equitably, and at scale, without depending on chance, geography, or privilege,” Mrs Akande noted, outlining the necessity of a caregiver support scheme that addresses both the financial and social needs of families navigating autism.

Answering this call to action, the Executive Director of Commercial and Institutional Banking (Lagos and Southwest) at The Alternative Bank, Mrs Korede Demola-Adeniyi, unveiled the financial institution’s concrete commitments to parent and professional training.

Noting that showing up in Nigeria has “too often meant showing up late,” she announced a robust three-pillar intervention agenda focusing on inclusive education, targeted training for caregivers and health professionals, and behavioural change advocacy.

As an immediate first step, Mrs Demola-Adeniyi announced the launch of a specialised capacity-building programme on Receptive Language Disorder, executed in collaboration with Eliakim Global Resources, which commenced on Sunday, April 26, 2026.

“Early recognition and sustained support depend on a workforce and caregivers who know what to look for, and what to do next,” she explained, emphasising that receptive language is a consequential developmental marker that is frequently missed.

The roundtable fostered dynamic discussions on practically designing and sustainably funding high-impact support programmes.

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Abuja division of the Federal High Court has delivered a landmark ruling reinforcing consumer protection in Nigeria’s healthcare sector, affirming the authority of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate complaints related to medical services, including alleged negligence.

Justice Emeka Nwite, who presided over the matter, delivered the judgment on April 15 in a suit filed by Life Bridge Medical Diagnostic Centre Ltd.

The company had challenged the FCCPC’s jurisdiction, arguing that the commission could not probe medical negligence cases without first establishing a formal arrangement with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).

However, the court dismissed the claims, holding that healthcare providers operating as commercial entities fall squarely under the provisions of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA).

Justice Nwite ruled that services rendered for value, including medical diagnostics, are subject to consumer protection oversight.

In the decisive clarification, the court drew a line between professional regulation and consumer protection. It said that while disciplinary control of medical practitioners remains the responsibility of professional bodies such as the MDCN, the FCCPC retains authority over issues of service quality, fairness, and consumer satisfaction.

The court further held that Section 105 of the FCCPA, which encourages regulatory coordination, does not limit or delay the FCCPC’s statutory powers.

According to the ruling, the absence of a formal agreement with sector regulators does not invalidate the Commission’s authority to act.

Justice Nwite also addressed concerns around patient confidentiality, ruling that ethical obligations do not override lawful investigations carried out in the public interest and in compliance with due process.

Reacting to the judgment, FCCPC executive vice chairman, Tunji Bello, described the decision as a major step toward strengthening consumer rights across all service sectors.

He emphasised that the ruling underscores the principle that consumer protection and professional regulation can coexist without conflict.