The inclusion of family planning and cancer treatment into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was the topic of discussion when some health experts gathered in Abuja on Wednesday.

“The first rationale for family planning is in the interest of the mother and the child to reduce mortality,” the President of the Association for Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH), Oladapo Ladipo, said at the two-day strategic advocacy retreat.

Mr Ladipo said the country’s maternal mortality ratio is shamefully high when compared to other developed countries.

He said Nigeria has not made any substantial progress in terms of health services to its citizens in the past decades.

“Inclusion of family planning into the scheme will improve acceptance and continued use of family planning to prevent unintended pregnancies through correct, consistent and social behaviour change,” President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Innocent Ujah, said.

Represented by the commissioner for health and human services, Benue State, Joseph Ngbea, Mr Ujah said the advocacy for these essential services will further strengthen advocacy to build political will for implementation.

Health Insurance Scheme
Due to the huge out-of-pocket spending for health services, which sometimes leave poor Nigerians in penury, the government established the NHIS in 2005

But despite billions pumped into the scheme since its inception, millions of Nigerians still lack access to quality healthcare.

About 70 per cent of Nigerians pay out-of-pocket for healthcare while those enrolled in the scheme complain of inadequate service delivery.