The National Health Insurance Authority, NHIA, and Roche Pharmaceuticals have agreed to expand access to affordable cancer treatment in Nigeria.
As part of this collaboration, they held a sensitization programme for the management of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital UITH on a new cost-sharing initiative for oncology care.
The partnership, which has now onboard 24 healthcare facilities nationwide, aims to alleviate the financial burden on cancer patients.
According to Dr Dara Olatoke of Roche Nigeria’s Access Team, the goal is to enhance cancer care accessibility, improve treatment outcomes, and shield Nigerians from the high costs often associated with oncology treatment, especially for those enrolled in the health insurance scheme.
The initiative operates on a cost-sharing model. For enrollees in the NHIA, Roche covers 50 per cent of the cost of select chemotherapy medications, the NHIA pays 30 per cent, and the patient contributes the remaining 20 per cent.
READ ALSO:NHIA, Roche subsidise cancer drug in Sokoto Hospital
This model is a key part of the broader effort to reduce financial barriers and achieve universal health coverage in Nigeria.
“Nigerians deserve the best in terms of a standard care and treatment, and that’s why we partnered with NHIA. In other climes, we see that patients are re-imbursed especially for Oncology care.
“But now the story is changing here, patients do not have to walk through this journey alone. The insurance is there and the partners like Roche, ready to support the patients,” she said.
Olatoke appealed to Nigerians to get enrolled in the health insurance scheme, adding that there is support as long as people get enrolled.
She emphasised that Nigerians can access healthcare in some healthcare facilities across the nation.
Also speaking, Dr Saka Agboola, the Head of Standard and Quality Assurance, NHIA-Kwara, said the agency was partnering Roche to reduce the financial burden of majority of vulnerable Nigerians who cannot access healthcare.
“Currently health insurance is mandatory for all Nigerians. This initiative is for those people who feel left behind, as patients with various forms of cancer can access medication.
“Most of them tend to lose hope in life and NHIA felt that in all fairness and equity, there is need for them to be incorporated,” he said.
According to Agboola, Roche covers 50 per cent of the cost of medication, NHIA covers 30 per cent and the patient is left to cover 20 per cent.
In his reaction, the Head of Surgery of UITH, Dr Suleiman Olaide, commended the initiative, while observing that the cost of treatment for cancer patients was high.
However, he appealed that the sharing cost should further be reduced for the patients, adding that the 20 per cent was still high.
“We are pleading with the NHIA to reduce to 10 percent or five percent.
“This will go a long way to ensure many patients are able to benefit from the initiative,” he said.
Olaide lamented that cancer cases were rising as the hospital recorded about two new patients every week.
NAN reports that some of the healthcare facilities onboard for the initiative includes UITH, Federal Medical Center Abuja, Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano and University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, among others.
