Health
My 1Health Connects Patients With Global Healthcare Expertise
Between 2011 and 2019, life expectancy across sub-Saharan Africa rose from 57.56 to 61.24 years. While there was a slight dip at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, that rise is pretty remarkable. Even more remarkable is the fact that life expectancy in the region was just 50 at the turn of the millennium. While there are numerous factors behind that rise, economic growth and improved disease prevention and treatment are among the most notable.
The former has ensured that a growing proportion of Africans have access to the basic infrastructure, like clean drinking water, that is so important to our overall health. The latter, meanwhile, means that diseases such as HIV/Aids, Malaria, and Tuberculosis are no longer as deadly as they once were (particularly to young people). Even with those advances, however, Africa still faces significant healthcare challenges. According to a 2021 report, close to half of Africans still don’t have access to the healthcare they need. And even when they do have access, attaining that healthcare can be incredibly time-consuming and frustrating. You only need to look at the queues at hospitals and clinics to see exactly how painful it can be.
One company, however, is trying to eliminate at least some of those frustrations, not just for Africans but for people around the globe. Founded in Nairobi, Kenya in 2018, My 1Health is a medical facilitator that’s dedicated to giving ordinary Africans access to specialised healthcare services globally. Beyond simply connecting people with healthcare expertise, My 1Health allows users to request emergency medical evacuations, have their cases reviewed by leading specialists, and receive tailored health packages to detect critical conditions or diseases early.
Additionally, it can assist with visa applications and facilitate airport transfers, hotel bookings, travel itineraries, and post-treatment follow-ups. Anyone who’s ever sought treatment in another city, never mind country, knows how difficult organising all of those things can be when you try and do them on your own.
According to Ephraim Mwangi, Head of Growth Marketing at My1Health, the products and services offered by the company have evolved but have always been wedded to its central vision.
“The goal was to create a platform that simplifies patients’ access to global healthcare services, irrespective of location,” he says. “Recognising the increasing demand for specialised services, our journey has been dedicated to expanding our services globally.”
“Providing multiple solutions is integral to enhancing user experience, ensuring accessibility through our smartphone app and web interface,” he adds. “Our commitment to refining and evolving our offerings reflects our dedication to global impact in the specialised healthcare industry.”
According to Mwangi, a key moment in My 1Health achieving this vision was the merger of International Medical Treatment Ltd and My Health Africa, resulting in a unified platform.
“This merger positioned us as global leaders in medical facilitation, constantly seeking new partnerships to fortify our presence worldwide,” he says. “By uniting the best of both worlds, the merger unlocked exponential opportunities. Our expanded network of 1 500+ doctors, 100+ hospitals, and a global reach has enabled over 40,000+ medical journeys.”
Ultimately, this means that patients have a greater level of choice than they would if they were restricted to their hometowns, cities, and countries.
“We empower patients with choice, offering local care when available and seamlessly connecting them with top global experts when needed,” says Mwangi. “This dual approach bridges the specialist gap while expanding options, ensuring everyone receives the best possible care, regardless of geographical constraints.”
According to Mwangi, the fact that My 1Health has been able to achieve everything it has is in no small part down to the way healthcare professionals have embraced the platform.
“My 1Health’s offerings have been embraced by doctors and healthcare workers,” he says. “We continue to forge strategic partnerships with hospitals and clinics, integrating seamlessly into existing workflows and empowering local healthcare teams.”
The My 1Health team has, of course, worked hard to ensure that it is a platform they can embrace.
“We have developed a collaborative approach that fosters trust and adoption, driving sustainable growth and ensuring healthcare professionals see My 1Health as a valuable tool, not just another platform,” he says.
Getting to this point has not, of course, come without its own set of challenges.
“My 1Health has navigated numerous challenges, including language barriers and market competition,” says Mwangi, adding that the company’s focus on technology and facilitation services has helped it address these challenges head-on.
Going forward, My 1Health plans to expand its global footprint to even more markets.
“My 1Health is committed to global expansion, with plans to extend to the Middle East and South Asia this year,” says Mwangi. “We’re excited about bringing our platform to new markets, and we aim to be the global leader in medical facilitation services through technology, patient-centricity, and strategic partnerships.”
Despite the very clear challenges faced by African healthcare, it has also been home to many pioneering medical innovations and procedures, such as the first heart transplant, middle ear transplant, and the world’s first successful intraocular lens implantation for cataract surgery. It’s also where critical technologies like the CT Scan were developed.
Could My 1Health build on that spirit of innovation to help ensure that anyone can access the healthcare they need, no matter where they are in the world? Given what it’s achieved so far, you’d be hard-pressed to bet against it, at least playing an important part in that revolution.
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.
