WHO To Optimize C'River's Health Insurance Scheme
By Ekanem Asuquo
The World Health Organization (WHO) has pledged its readiness for a robust synergy with the Cross River Health Insurance Agency to enable the agency attain set objectives.
The WHO Coordinator in Cross River State Dr Yewande Olatunde, who gave the assurance during a visit to the Health Insurance Agency Headquarters in Calabar, stated that her organization is in the state to "lend support towards the attainment of Universal Health Coverage (UHC)".
Dr Olatunde noted with dismay that despite global calls for increased funding for the health sector in the country, Nigeria has never dedicated ten percent (10%) of its annual budget toward financing healthcare.
She informed the Agency that her visit was meant to explore area of mutual cooperation targeted at repositioning the State Health Insurance Agency to guarantee affordability of quality healthcare as well as universal health coverage in the state.
The WHO official tasked the Iyala-led Agency to develop a template for technical support and cooperation to guide WHO on potential intervention to rejuvenate the Agency.
According to Olatinde ''The WHO is disposed to supporting the scheme especially in the area of technical and human resources, etc, to ensure that quality healthcare service is affordable and accessible to residents of the state"
"Therefore, necessary machineries must be put in place to ensure that the Health Insurance Agency function effectively and efficiently to guarantee attainment of set targets" She posited.
In his response, the Director General of Cross River State Health Insurance Agency (CRSHIA), Dr. Godwin Iyala, thanked the WHO Coordinator and her team for the to visit and promised to avail her of Agency's critical areas of need.
The DG said the new look CRSHIA is poised to provide extended social health insurance in terms of access to quality and affordable healthcare for residents of the state.
"We assure you that CRSHIA would make judicious use of potential aids received from WHO, all in the bid to improve healthcare accessibility for the betterment of Cross Riverians," Iyala pledged.
