Health
Providing Affordable Healthcare in Nigeria Should Be Everyone’s Business
Adaku Efuribe
“It is my greatest desire that we improve the healthcare system in Nigeria and provide affordable healthcare for local communities at the grassroots so that people can have access to the care they need, when they need it, in ways that are user-friendly” – Adaku Efuribe
The 74th UN General Assembly took place in New York last September; high level meetings were held and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) was a hot topic for the week. As expected, Nigeria had a delegation of Government representatives, NGO’s and individual advocates who are working towards achieving SDG3 and UHC in attendance. So how do we implement new policies and what are the key drivers to providing UHC for all in Nigeria?
As an advocate for UHC/SDGs, I have been lending my voice over the years calling the Nigerian Government to action towards implementing UN SDGs agenda and achieving UHC.I have studied and participated in primary healthcare provision in developed economies and can say for sure healthcare provision is very expensive, but I believe we can up our game towards providing primary health care for everyone at the point of need.
Some developed economies have used the tax system to ensure their national health service does not run out of funds, a percentage of all earnings is taxed and put aside in a ‘pot’ to supplement the health budget. From a lay man’s point of view, just like the banking system, we all bank our money at different times and we withdraw money at different times, so for a contributory healthcare system, everyone will not fall sick at the same time, some will experience life threatening sickness at some point in their life, some would have long term conditions like CVDs, Diabetes, etc., while others would only go through emergencies or minor ailments/major diseases.
In Nigeria for instance, we have a few HMO schemes covering the organised private and public sector. The ‘common man’ on the street does not have any sort of health insurance whatsoever, which leaves them at the mercy of chance. In an unfortunate event of serious illness like cancer or organ failure, they find themselves in a situation where they cannot pay for medical services hence resorting to luck to stay alive. A lot of unavoidable deaths have occurred due to lack of funds to pay for medical treatment.
The public primary care providers are underfunded and the issue of corruption has eaten deep into the fabric of the healthcare system where funds allocated for medical equipment’s, pharmaceuticals etc. are diverted for personal use.
What plans does the present Government in Nigeria have to provide Universal Health Coverage and in so doing, contribute to the economic growth of the Country?
Sustainability can be defined as meeting the needs of today without compromising the needs of tomorrow.
‘As articulated in SDG 3, health is crucial for sustainable human development, both as an inalienable human right and an essential contributor to the economic growth of society. Health contributes to national development through productive employment, reduced expenditure on illness care and greater social cohesion.
We believe that universal health coverage (UHC), delivered through an adequately-resourced and well-governed health system, will be capable of addressing these and other health challenges. Universal health coverage must ensure equitable access to affordable, accountable, appropriate health services of assured quality to all people.
These must include promotive, preventive, curative, palliative and rehabilitative services. UHC must be supported by policies and services addressing the wider social and environmental determinants of health for individuals and populations’. Sustainable Developments solutions network
Key words for providing health systems that works!
- Well Governed Systems- Are there systems and policies in place that can be retained and continued
- Promotive- Do we have health promotion strategies in place to promote good health and wellbeing
- Preventative- Are we taking preventative measures seriously, screening, vaccination, reducing CVD risk through lifestyle management?
- Curative- When we fall ill or in times of emergency, do we have access to affordable healthcare, or does sickness lead to poverty?
- Palliative and rehabilitative services- For terminally ill patients, do we have plans for social prescribing and support? For people engaged in substance misuse, do we have plans for treatment, rehabilitation and integration back into the society
WHO uses 16 essential health services in 4 categories as indicators of the level and equity of coverage in countries: Where does Nigeria rank in the indicators?
Reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health:
- Family planning
- Antenatal and delivery care
- Full child immunization
- Health-seeking behaviour for pneumonia
Infectious diseases:
- Tuberculosis treatment
- HIV antiretroviral treatment
- Hepatitis treatment
- Use of insecticide-treated bed nets for malaria prevention
- Adequate sanitation.
Noncommunicable diseases:
- Prevention and treatment of raised blood pressure
- Prevention and treatment of raised blood glucose
- Cervical cancer screening
- Tobacco (non-)smoking.
Service capacity and access:
- Basic hospital access
- Health worker density
- Access to essential medicines
- Health security: compliance with the International Health Regulations.
The Nigerian Government can do more to improve health outcomes and tackle poverty, by increasing coverage of health services, and by reducing the impoverishment associated with payment for health services. We can subsidise the payment for health services and provide emergency health care at the point of need by ensuring we are constantly reviewing our health policies and implementing proven international strategies. The Health budget does not in any way reflect the health needs of Nigerians, this needs to be reviewed.
As Individuals, if we take health promotion seriously, and change our lifestyle habits, then we can make changes that would reduce the cost of health as well.
Adaku Efuribe is an SDGs/UHC Advocate & Clinical Pharmacist with expertise in medicines management, integrated healthcare and health promotion.
AstraZeneca, a leading global pharmaceutical company, launched the Africa Health Innovation Hub today. This ground-breaking initiative highlights the company’s commitment to healthcare equity and fostering partnerships with a range of stakeholders, including governments, healthcare societies, academia, healthcare providers and patient advocacy groups, to better improve patient outcomes. Building on AstraZeneca’s work in Africa, the hub aims to use the latest science and technology to improve access to healthcare for patients on the continent.
The Africa Health Innovation Hub is the latest in the global A. Catalyst Network, a connected array of over 20 hubs worldwide. This network seeks to tackle current healthcare challenges through collaborative innovation, promote affordable and equitable healthcare access, and amplify patient-centred innovation through strategic alliances within the healthcare ecosystem.
Last year, AstraZeneca joined the WEF Edison Alliance, a public-private partnership that aims to improve the lives of 1 billion people through digital inclusion by 2025. The partnership reinforces our commitment to harnessing digital innovation to drive inclusion and equity across the healthcare ecosystem, therefore, will also be a strong facilitator of the Africa Hub.
Gagan Singh, Country President, African Cluster, AstraZeneca, stated, “AstraZeneca aims to strengthen and future-proof health systems across the whole patient journey, ensuring everyone has equitable and affordable access to the life-changing healthcare solutions they need, regardless of where they live. The launch of the Africa Health Innovation Hub is a significant step in our goal to unlock digital transformation and innovation in health across the continent, paving the way for patient-centric digital health solutions that leave no one behind. By working with partners across the continent, we are nurturing local talent and making quality health care more accessible for all.”
Partnering to bring our purpose to life
In Africa, two major new partnerships will form the backbone of the Hub in its initial phases:
- In South Africa, AstraZeneca is partnering with MEDSOL AI SOLUTIONS to help promote the use of AI in the detection of disease through a state-of-the-art Wi-Fi ultrasound probe that can detect breast cancer in seconds. The Melusi Breast AI rapid detection app will be rolled out in rural clinics to help in early detection of the disease, supported by a dedicated referral system so that women with positive detection of breast cancer can be offered a quicker turnaround time for therapeutic intervention.
Dr Kathryn Malherbe (PhD), CEO & Founder of MedSol AI Solutions said, “Medsol AI is excited to be leading one of the inaugural projects of the Africa Innovation Hub, with support from AstraZeneca. Breast cancer is a devastating disease, with many women in our communities only able to access late-stage diagnoses. The Melusi Breast AI project will enable us to leverage technology and innovation to improve early diagnostic detection rates and patient outcomes in local clinics, ultimately saving lives.”
- In Kenya, the company is expanding an already successful collaboration with Tricog Health Limited. After a few years of piloting an AI technology that connects ACS patients to health professionals and route them to the appropriate facilities, enabling early cardio-renal complications to be addressed in India, the African hub aims to enhance early diagnosis and treatment of Heart Failure using Tricog’s InstaECG AI tools for rapid diagnosis, reducing mortality rates and improving quality of life.
Dr. Charit Bhograj, CEO & Founder Tricog Health Limited added, “non-communicable diseases, including heart disease, are on the rise in Kenya and across Africa, and we know that the earlier these conditions are diagnosed, the better chance it is for patients to continue to live long healthy lives. By investing in digital health technology, the Africa Health Innovation Hub is enabling the use of advanced AI to screen and diagnose patients remotely, bringing high-quality health tools to people no matter where they live.”
Another partnership initiated last year and will officially form part of the Africa Health Innovation Hub is the Fuel Africa programme, launched by Futurize. This is the largest healthcare entrepreneurship programme on the continent, bringing together the brightest minds across universities in Sub-Saharan Africa to address some of Africa’s most pressing challenges in healthcare. For the second year in a row, AstraZeneca’s A. Catalyst Network partnered with Futurize to reinforce our strong commitment to fostering innovation in the continent by developing local talents.
Official kick off to AstraZeneca’s health innovation hub in Africa
The official launch event – which marked the launch of the hub and the kick off of the Medsol AI partnership – took place at the Daspoort Poli Clinic in Pretoria, South Africa, where healthcare practitioners were able to demonstrate the use of the Melusi Breast AI device in a community clinic setting, which is one of the first points of contact for clinical breast examinations and breast cancer screening for patients.
The Africa Health Innovation Hub will also invest in building local talent, promote policy change for cancer screening, close the gaps in healthcare access and improve the quality of life for patients in the African region, particularly in rural and underserved communities. These objectives are aligned with the four pillars of AstraZeneca’s A. Catalyst Network: Education and Awareness, Early Diagnosis and Referral, Connectivity and Technology, and Data Generation.
aYo Zambia CEO, Andrew Nkolola
microinsurer aYo Zambia has has just launched Family Cover, which allows Zambians to get hospital and life cover for themselves as well as their direct and extended families without filling in a single form. The new product will also see all premiums collected (and claims paid) via the MTN Mobile Money (MoMo) platform. Until now, aYo has offered hospital and life cover to individuals only through two insurance products, ‘Send with Care’ and ‘Recharge with Care’. But a growing market demand for insurance for the whole family prompted the company to create the new Family Cover product, which allows policy holders to add up to seven people, including themselves.
“As of today, we have had over 3.5 million customers purchase cover to protect themselves for hospitalisation in the event of illness or injury, or loss of life,” said aYo Zambia CEO Andrew Nkolola. “But many of our customers have been asking us: ‘How will we safeguard our children and families if something happens to them? We don’t want benefits only when something happens to us.’ We realised it was a huge gap in the market and have responded accordingly.”
As with aYo’s existing products, Family Cover customers must maintain active Mobile Money (MoMo) accounts to pay premiums and claim. This will allow them to insure up to three other family members per benefit, for a total of seven people. Family Cover allows policyholders to add extended family as well as direct relatives between the ages of 1 and 69.
Customers can enrol family members by dialling the USSD code *296* and selecting the Family cover option to enrol and manage cover. As with ‘Send with Care’ and ‘Recharge with Care’, valid Family Cover claims are paid directly to the claimant’s mobile money wallet without any hassles.
aYo was recognised as the Most Innovative Ecommerce Product in Zambia by the Institute of Finance and Economics in October, and followed that up in November with three awards at the Pensions and Insurance Authority Industry awards: Microinsurance product of the year, Best Customer Centric Experience, and Product and Service Innovation of the Year.
“The market perception of insurance in general is changing. Today, every Zambian consumer can purchase insurance on the go, using their mobile phones. Offerings like Family Cover provide a much-needed social safety net that helps vulnerable people and particularly people with low incomes to stay afloat when the unexpected happens,” said Nkolola.
mPharma, Africa’s leading patient-centered technology-driven healthcare company, has acquired the majority stake in HealthPlus, the leading pharmacy chain in Nigeria. mPharma and the former investor, Alta Semper, have signed an agreement leading to the acquisition of a majority stake in the HealthPlus Group.
According to the Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of mPharma, Gregory Rockson, the acquisition is in line with the company’s mission to build an Africa that is in good health by delivering life-changing healthcare services and drugs to improve health outcomes for patients. He stated that the acquisition of the HealthPlus Pharmacy chain by mPharma complements mPharma’s deep commitment to increasing patient access to affordable and quality healthcare in Nigeria.
“mPharma is deepening its long-standing commitment to Africa by reimagining primary healthcare in some of the most vulnerable communities on the continent. We continue to transform community pharmacies into primary care centers to provide affordable and accessible healthcare to all patients so they can live not just longer but healthier lives. We are optimistic about the future of healthcare for Nigerians through the acquisition of HealthPlus.”, said Rockson.
In her remarks on the acquisition, Afsane Jetha, Co-founder and CEO at Alta Semper Capital, said: “We are delighted about HealthPlus’ partnership with mPharma. We have a strong conviction in mPharma’s strategy of revolutionizing primary care across Africa and believe mPharma is the ideal steward for HealthPlus’s next chapter of growth. We believe mPharma’s vision is consistent with that of HealthPlus’s shareholders and employees, and we are enthusiastic to support the business through a relationship with mPharma going forward”.
While mPharma plans to continue to keep and strengthen HealthPlus as Nigeria’s leading pharmacy brand in Nigeria, the acquisition will also provide expansion opportunities for mPharma within Nigeria and a platform to expand mPharma’s mutti pharmacy retail footprint across the continent through its fast-growing QualityRx program. Powered by mPharma’s proprietary Bloom software, HealthPlus will provide patients access to affordable primary care services within its pharmacies, in addition to affordable and quality medications it currently retails across 12 states in Nigeria. The HealthPlus pharmacy chain will also launch mutti®, mPharma’s health membership program, which will provide both existing and new customers with discounts, interest-free “heal-now-pay-later” plans, free health screenings, and other primary care services.
By combining HealthPlus pharmacies with mPharma’s growing portfolio of partner mutti pharmacies and GoodHealth shops (PPMVs),mPharma’s network will grow from 224 to over 320 health facilities in Nigeria and will provide care to more than 100,000 Nigerians each month.
