Health
Liberia, UNICEF Seek More Investments In Health, Education
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The need for increased investments to improve quality education services, health care, and prevent violence against children has been emphasised by Liberia and UNICEF.
The call for action came after a joint annual review of progress in 2016, and agreement on priorities for focus in 2017.
“Liberia has made significant progress since the end of the Ebola outbreak, with health facilities functional, and many children back in school. It is essential that we increase investments in these critical areas, to ensure that Liberia builds on the progress made, and also address other critical areas to promote child and women’s rights,” says the Minister of Finance and Development Planning in the country, Boima Kamara.
“UNICEF has contributed close to US 48 million dollars in 2016 toward increasing access to services as well as to the improvement of the lives of children and women in Liberia, and the benefits are evident,” added Minister Kamara.
The Government of Liberia – UNICEF annual review meeting held on 28 November assessed the implementation of joint work plans and the key results achieved during 2016. Prior to this annual review meeting, comprehensive sectoral reviews were conducted since early November, led by the Government and UNICEF together with a wide range of development and civil society partners.
The objective of the annual review process was to assess overall progress, collaboratively strategize ways to address challenges, and prioritize interventions for 2017.
“This is an important step in our efforts to improve the lives of children and women in Liberia,” says Dr. Suleiman Braimoh, UNICEF Representative in Liberia. “Only through reflection and a thorough review of our work can we assess progress, identify shortcomings and strategize on the way forward.”
“We thank all our donor partners for their support, without which progress would not have been made. However, many challenges remain. We need to increase investments in critical areas to address post-Ebola outbreak challenges and residual issues, as well as combat the high levels of violence against children.
“The government needs to ensure that health, education and other services receive adequate funding in the annual budget, while development partners need to provide long-term predictable funding to help plan and implement projects that have long-term sustainable impact.”
Some of the key highlights of progress in 2016, include:
- The reactivation of health services, and increased access for children and women.
- Over 700,000 children and 44,000 teachers have increased access to learning and teaching through the provision of teaching/learning kits.
- Over 225,000 people have benefitted from the construction or rehabilitation of water, sanitation, hygiene and waste management systems in 9 hospitals and 4 health facilities in eight counties.
- Water, sanitation and hygiene services have been provided in 102 schools in six counties, benefiting close to 40,000 children.
- Increased trend of immunization coverage observed in 2016.
- Over 140,000 children have received birth certificates, up from 63,500 in 2015.
- Close to 145,000 most vulnerable children and young people have received quality essential social services through the deployment of social workers.
- Populations have increased access to life-saving information on immunization, handwashing, nutrition and protection.
- Ninety community peace committees have been set up to increase peacebuilding and conflict resolution.
- 300 National Volunteers were deployed at 118 public institutions in 13 counties to support sub-national service provision, especially as teachers in schools, benefitting over 45,000 pupils and community residents.
- 1,000 adolescent received life-skills training.
A number of priorities were agreed on for focus in 2017, including:
- Advocacy to increase budgeting for health, education and social services.
- Scale-up implementation of the community health assistant programme in five counties.
- Increase youth and adolescent empowerment and employment opportunities through life-skills, vocational and technical education.
- Develop and disseminate a national life skills curriculum for adolescents, and support the development of an adolescent empowerment strategy.
- Support the development of the National Plan of Action for Children.
- Increase efforts to prevent and respond to sexual and gender based violence.
- Increase public awareness about the importance of early childhood development, and support planned initiatives.
- Scale up learner-centred teacher training in order to improve learning outcomes.
UNICEF has been a longstanding partner of the Government of Liberia in implementing its priorities and promoting the rights and wellbeing of the children of Liberia.
On December 10, 2016 UNICEF marks 70 years of working internationally in 190 countries to bring life-saving aid, long-term support and hope to children whose lives and futures are endangered by conflict, crises, poverty, inequality and discrimination.
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.
