Date: 2021-05-22

Members of the two chambers of the National Assembly have declared that the death rate in Nigeria is extremely high and called for more investment in the health sector.

The lawmakers said the mortality indices remained extremely high despite the huge resources sunk into the health sector over the years by government at all levels. They therefore canvassed the prioritisation of health security on the template of Universal Health Coverage.

The views were canvassed at a media briefing organised by the chairmen of the Joint Committee of both chambers on Health, the chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe (APC Kwara Central), said the reduction of the death rate cannot be achieved through the exclusive National Health Insurance Scheme being run by the federal government.

To this end, Oloriegbe said they have put the issue on the front burner of discourse at the 4th Annual Legislative Summit on Health, slated for next week in Abuja.

Also, the chairman, House Committee on Health Services, Hon Tanko Sununu, said there was need for the amendment of the existing National Health Insurance Scheme Act for the actualisation of the Universal Health Coverage and by extension, health security.

In his address, Oloriegbe said, "These actions by the legislature have become critically necessary as the country's mortality indices have remained extremely high with minimal improvements, despite the magnitude of resources contributed to improve the statistics.

"For instance, the National Demographic Health Survey (2018) findings revealed that in the seven years preceding the survey, infant mortality rate was 67 deaths per 1,000 live births; under-5 mortality was 132 deaths per 1,000 live births; and maternal mortality ratio, 512 deaths per 100,000 live births.

"Similar dismal indices are recorded across different health indicators and call for accelerated responses like this one, across different spheres of stakeholders to address the challenges giving rise to these," he said.

Oloriegbe said in addressing the problem, health security should be prioritised in the country through Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

In achieving that, he said the exclusive model of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) being practiced in Nigeria must be made inclusive by expanding its scope beyond the five per cent of the population it covers to an appreciable percentage of healthcare deliveries.

"Although the country is making attempts to take giant strides in its pursuit of UHC, these efforts and whatever achievements have been recorded could be quickly eroded if health security is not prioritised.

"This is obvious in the effect of the currently ravaging COVID-19 pandemic and other disease outbreaks that have greatly impacted the health system negatively," he said.