Health
Axa Mansard Presently Piloting New Insurance Policy on Malaria—Alli
By Dipo Olowookere
Malaria is a disease that is still giving health experts and governments, especially from Africa, something to worry about.
This is because the disease efforts to eradicate it have not yielded the needed results especially in the third world counties.
Every April 25 is set aside to mark the World Malaria Day and Axa Mansard, which joined others to mark the day, disclosed that it was presently piloting a new insurance scheme focusing on the disease.
Speaking in an interview, the Group Head of Medical Services at AXA Mansard, Dr Tokunbo Alli, said Malaria continues to contribute to childhood and adulthood morbidity and mortality in Africa, and under-5 children and pregnant women are worst hit.
He said the company will continue to make efforts to support the campaign to eradicate the disease in the country.
What is your team’s connection with this year’s global theme for World Malaria Day, ‘Ready to Beat Malaria?’
Malaria continues to contribute to childhood and adulthood morbidity and mortality in Africa, and under-5 children and pregnant women are worst hit. As a responsive and responsible organization, a strategic part of our cover for thousands of our clients includes easy access to qualitative diagnostics and treatment against malaria in through our numerous and dependable healthcare providers across the country, the continent and indeed worldwide.
Through various channels also, AXA Mansard significantly contributes to initiatives that are aimed at strengthening the preventive measures against Malaria in Africa. We are presently piloting a new insurance policy focusing on malaria alone and we will be sponsoring about 10,000 lives with free Malaria Insurance.
What inspired your team to join efforts to eradicate malaria?
The impact of the business of healthcare is not streamlined to the conundrum of diseases management. As a matter of fact, our team understands that by creating a formidable platform for preventing and properly managing disease conditions, the socioeconomic might of the average Nigerian citizen is buoyed. This is simply because we are able to help clients spend less of unproductive hours or days on the sick bed as a result of malaria, and consequently, improve their productive hours to help achieve socio economic power for themselves and their families.
The total eradication on Malaria would have an extremely positive effect on the entire economy which would translate to higher GDP numbers for Nigeria. Also, with the increase in prevalence of non-communicable diseases like hypertension and diabetes, we would have too many issues to deal with if we do not increase our efforts to eradicate malaria.
What should be done in preventing and treating malaria?
All hands must be on deck to salvage the situation that malaria has put us in Africa. Prevention entails keeping clean environments by clearing bushes and drainages in and around homes, use of anti-mosquito agents, sleeping under Long-lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs), routine aerial sprays of our environment with chemicals that destroy the larvae of mosquitoes etc. in the near future, we also expect a breakthrough by scientists in the production of vaccines against malaria.
Treatment on the other hand entails that qualitative anti-malarial drugs are manufactured within and outside the continent and made available at affordable rates to end-users. The diagnostic capacity of both private and public health institutions also need to be strengthened to ensure the prompt & appropriate diagnosis of malaria and differentiation from other fever-causing diseases.
How does health insurance help curb the high mortality rate of this disease?
If health insurance schemes are initiated across board to ensure universal access to healthcare, the prompt and unfettered access to qualitative diagnosis and treatment of malaria shall be taken for granted in Africa. The pool of funds which health insurance provides can stimulate a catalytic process that will drastically curb morbidity and mortality arising from malaria. Health insurance guarantees unhindered access to qualitative healthcare services. AXA Mansard Health is poised to delivery best in class health insurance products and services that would help the nation help curb the high mortality and morbidity rate caused by Malaria.
Tell us about the AXA Mansard‘s health insurance solution for the retail market called EasyCare?
AXA Mansard Easy Care health insurance plan helps Nigerians access affordable and quality health care. With new Easy Care health insurance plan, subscriber can with as low as N12,000, premium access various health care services which include, In and Out Patient Care, General and Specialist Consultation; X-Rays; Laboratory & Diagnostic Tests. Other health care benefits accessible to subscribers on the plan are NPI Immunizations; Prescribed Medicines & Drugs; Accidents & Emergencies; Dental care; Evacuation of patients to the hospital; HIV/AIDS – to the Extent of Diagnosis and Treatment at Free Specialist Centres nationwide.
There have been a number of advocates including Vice President, Professor Osinbanjo on the importance of compulsory health insurance scheme to improve access to health care for Nigerians, what are your thoughts on health insurance for all?
The Vice President’s advocacy is a step in the right direction. Health insurance for all is feasible if all stakeholders are committed to drive the process.
On our part, we shall continue to advocate for compulsory health insurance for all men, women and children in Nigeria because it provides risk-protection and universal health coverage for all. No one knows when he/she will be ill or the amount of money that may be required to treat the next illness.
How has the acceptance of health insurance evolved in the past, and what is its future outlook in Nigeria?
Statistics put the coverage of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in Nigeria at less than 7 percent. The gap yet uncovered is enormous, the opportunities massive. Be that as it may, anecdotal figures corroborate the impression that acceptance of health insurance seems to be on the rise in Nigeria. In cities such as Lagos, Abuja, Port-Harcourt and a host of others, many private health insurance plans have been instituted, such that Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) are being established. A lot of private sector organizations are purchasing health insurance plans for their workers from one HMO or the other. AXA Mansard for instance is the fastest growing health insurance company in Nigeria with a compounded annual growth rate of over 500 percent from inception in September 2013 till date. It is therefore safe to say acceptance is on the rise. Honestly, the future outlook of health insurance is astonishingly bright and Federal and State governments can help to boost same by formulating and implementing policies of Universal health coverage around health insurance.
Some advocates of health insurance argue that it is a means of risk management and finance protection, can you explain that further?
In most countries of the world today, including Nigeria, expense on healthcare is the single largest cause of bankruptcy for individuals and families. No one is aware of the type or period of his/her next illness, even though we all pray not to fall sick. Insurance generally offers you a cover, some sort of protection, against unforeseen events, ditto health insurance. A pool of funds is made available by health insurance in a manner that allows all enrolees to be protected financially within that pool against out-of-pocket payments for any illness that may arise. Health insurance also does risk protection by breaking down the barrier of access, such that so long as you are insured, you shall eat the good of the qualitative healthcare lamb should the need arise.
What are your recommendations on ways to improve access to quality health services for people and communities, in line with 2018 World Health Day theme, ‘universal health coverage: everyone, everywhere’?
As a big player in the health insurance sector, our recommendation is for sub-national and national governments, as well as privately-run organizations, to enact and execute policies of health insurance as an instrument for universal health coverage for all their citizens and/or employees as the case may be. It is the surest way to get everyone on the path to universal health coverage.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) says the number of Nigerians enrolled in health insurance has risen to more than 22 million.
The Director-General of NHIA, Mr Kelechi Ohiri, said this resulted from the implementation of the mandatory health insurance, which has gained momentum nationwide.
He said this on Wednesday at the Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Association of Insurance and Pension Editors (NAIPE) in Lagos.
Mr Ohiri said enrolment had increased to 22.03 million, representing a 35 per cent year-on-year growth, attributing this to stronger collaboration with state social health insurance agencies, ministries, departments and agencies, organised labour, employers, the private sector, and the gradual implementation of the mandatory health insurance provisions of the NHIA Act.
He said that the country had moved beyond policy formulation to delivering measurable improvements in healthcare access, service quality and consumer protection in line with the federal government’s health sector reform agenda.
According to him, Nigeria already has the necessary policies and legislation to achieve Universal Health Coverage, positing that the key challenge was effective implementation.
“The decisive variable is now implementation- consistent, rigorous and accountable execution that converts political commitment into healthcare access for real Nigerians,” he said.
Mr Ohiri said that the transition from the former National Health Insurance Scheme to the NHIA had strengthened regulation, consumer protection, accountability and strategic purchasing, while providing the legal and operational framework for achieving Universal Health Coverage.
He added that improving the experience of enrollees remained central to the Authority’s reform agenda.
According to him, NHIA has strengthened its complaints management system, introduced faster resolution timelines, and intensified compliance monitoring of Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) and healthcare providers.
He further added that NHIA had sanctioned facilities that failed to meet the required standards, adding that his organisation had resolved 3,878 complaints, representing an 87 per cent resolution rate, while 95 per cent of the cases were concluded within prescribed timelines.
Mr Ohiri noted that more than N14.2 million had been refunded to enrollees, while non-compliant healthcare facilities had been sanctioned.
He said NHIA had also introduced service standards, including a one-hour treatment commencement target for enrollees requiring urgent care, to improve access to timely and quality healthcare services.
The NHIA boss further disclosed that capitation payments to healthcare providers had been increased by 93 per cent.
He said fee-for-service reimbursements rose by 378 per cent to enable providers to invest more in personnel, equipment and infrastructure.
According to him, 7,592 healthcare facilities have been assessed under the SafeCare quality framework as part of efforts to institutionalise continuous quality improvement across the country.
Mr Ohiri also highlighted interventions targeted at vulnerable groups, including support for more than 48,500 pregnant women, expanded maternal and newborn healthcare services, the Vulnerable Group Fund, and improved access to healthcare for pensioners and retirees.
He said Universal Health Coverage could only be achieved if every Nigerian, regardless of income or location, had access to quality healthcare services.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The new one-hour authorisation response time ultimatum policy introduced by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has received the full backing of SUNU Health Nigeria Limited.
This policy was introduced by the agency to ensure enrollees get prompt approval codes to access care.
Healthcare service providers have been urged to report any Health Maintenance Organisation (HMO) that violates this initiative through an email, with the HMO in copy and a timestamp attached as evidence of the request. They may proceed to offer services to enrollees thereafter.
Speaking at the company’s second-quarter Providers’ Forum for the Lagos-Ogun region in Lagos recently, the chief executive of SUNU Health, Dr Moyosore Olomola, expressed optimism that this policy would improve healthcare delivery in the country, especially for enrollees, who crave quality service.
At the event themed Improving Quality and Access to Care Through Stronger Provider Network, and held at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) in Yaba, Lagos, Mr Olomola reaffirmed the HMO’s commitment to operating within legal and operational frameworks to guarantee adequate care for enrollees.
“Access to care and quality of care remain key priorities in our healthcare systems. We know quite well that deliberate collaboration, strategic partnerships, and a shared commitment to excellence are required to achieve these priorities.
“A strong provider network is doubtless the backbone of any effective healthcare system. It ensures that our mutual enrollees receive the right care, at the right time, in the right place, and at the right price,” Mr Olomola, represented at the programme by the organisation’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Dr Faith Nwachi, stated.
He further assured that SUNU Health would strictly adhere to the one-hour authorisation limit, stressing that this aligns seamlessly with one of the organisation’s core values—promptness and its corporate slogan, Humanity is the centre of our initiatives.
In a bid to further improve access and quality of care, SUNU Health also demonstrated its new operational software and Mobile app, aptly named SUNU Legacy.
Also speaking at the event, the NHIA Lagos State Coordinator (Ikeja), Dr Bethuel-Kasimu Abraham, noted that the forum’s expected outcome is to significantly reduce delays in accessing medical care.
Other key expectations include ensuring continuity of care, improving patient outcomes, and strengthening accountability among HMOs.
Addressing specific pain points faced by enrollees, the NHIA Ogun State Coordinator, Mr Dare Adefeso, acknowledged that the agency had received complaints regarding out-of-stock drugs and the discrimination of enrollees by certain providers.
He affirmed that the NHIA is actively addressing these issues, stressing that moving forward, every facility must ensure enrollees are properly catered to regardless of their status, provided they have an active health insurance plan.
Corroborating the long-standing legacy of SUNU Health, the Ogun State Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mrs Aishat Tiamiyu, shared that her agency is responsible for public information dissemination and has been enrolled with SUNU Health for over 25 years.
Commending the HMO’s stellar service over two decades, she called for the immediate enrollment of new NOA staff into the scheme.
The Providers’ Forum remains one of the strategic channels employed by SUNU Health to consistently engage healthcare providers, understand their operational challenges, introduce new software updates, and solidify partnerships aimed at fostering premium healthcare delivery across Nigeria.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced the recall of a sexual enhancement product known as WAP Sensual Enhancement Capsules.
In a statement on Monday, the Nigerian agency disclosed that the recall is due to “undeclared pharmaceutical ingredients” in the product, whose country of origin is unknown, but is marketed and distributed online in the US through eBay.
It was emphasised that the recall is being “voluntarily” made by the manufacturer, Best Supplements Best Prices Company.
The detection of the undeclared pharmaceutical ingredients was made by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Laboratory analysis by the US FDA revealed that the product contained undeclared sildenafil, tadalafil, and flibanserin, which were not mentioned on the product label. Such substances may include phosphodiesterase type-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors or related compounds commonly used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, the statement by NAFDAC stated.
Sildenafil and tadalafil are ingredients in FDA-approved prescription drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction.
It was noted that these undeclared ingredients may interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs, such as nitroglycerin, and may lower blood pressure to dangerous levels. Consumers with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease often take nitrates.
Flibanserin is the active ingredient in an FDA-approved prescription drug used to treat low sexual desire in women. Flibanserin can cause drowsiness, sedation, dangerously low blood pressure, and fainting, especially when combined with alcohol.
Consumers have been encouraged to report compromised products (medicines or medical devices) to the nearest NAFDAC office, call 0800-162-3322, or send an email to sf******@********ov.ng.
