The Nigerian Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu has called for legislation to make health insurance mandatory, noting it would remove problems of affordability which denies millions of Nigerians universal access to health care.
His comments coincide with First Lady Patience Jonathan's lamentation on the death of hundreds of Nigerian women every year at childbirth, calling them "unacceptable."
Speaking at the flagoff of Maternal and NewBorn Child Health Week, coordinated by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Mrs. Jonathan said: "It is no more acceptable to make excuses for why one in 13 Nigerian women die in childbirth or why up to 157 out of every 1,000 Nigerian children may die before he or she reaches age five."
The MNCH Week, marked twice every year since the National Council on Health approved it three years ago, provides free medical services for women and children for seven days in all government-owned hospitals.
"The week is an opportunity to do something about this unacceptable situation, and remains our collective burden to ensure it is a success," Mrs. Jonathan said in statement read by Helen Mark, wife of the Senate president.
Health Minister Chukwu insisted that one way of achieving universal access to health was "some form of insurance" in reference to the National Health Insurance Scheme, which many state governments have been reluctant to accept.
"We need to make health insurance mandatory," he said in direct comments to the "Chairman (of the) Senate Committee on Health (Gyang Dantong), we need to work on this."
Chukwu said health insurance would make healthcare more affordable and accessible to individuals and move the country "to the next stage."
The free health package will include antenatal care, vitamin A supplementation, immunisation, birth registration and health education as well as distribution of antimalarials and nets treated with long-lasting insecticides.
NPHCDA Executive Director Muhammad Ado said the week was an "opportunity to reach every mother and child" and called on state governments to ensure citizens get the free services.
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