The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Services, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, has commended the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Fistula Free Programme for its impressive progress in addressing obstetric fistula and restoring women’s dignity across the country.
Pate gave the commendation during the second steering committee meeting of the programme held in Abuja, stressing its alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive to expand access to affordable and quality healthcare.
He said: “I visited centres in the North East and was deeply moved by the impact.
“Women from across the country – Lagos, Nigeria, Anambra, Borno and beyond – received repairs at no cost.
“This initiative has shown that we are reaching the vulnerable women who need these services”.
The minister also acknowledged challenges, including identifying beneficiaries, ensuring standardised protocols and addressing payment inefficiencies.
To address these gaps, he emphasised the importance of continuous quality improvement, expanding partnerships and promoting health insurance uptake to sustain the gains.
“As we gear up for 2025, much more is needed,” he said, adding, “I hope the collaboration that has brought us this far will continue. Together, we can ensure that no woman with fistula or obstetric emergencies is left behind.”
Speaking earlier, the Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority NHIA, Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, provided an update on the programme’s achievements since its launch in June 2024.
Highlighting the holistic approach of the initiative, Ohiri explained that it addresses both clinical and non- clinical needs of women with obstetric fistula.
He said: “This programme not only resolves fistula-related morbidities but also covers associated costs like feeding, transportation, post-care follow-ups and, insurance enrollment to meet other medical needs.
“It’s a three-step process treatment, insurance enrollment and, sustained access to healthcare.”
Elaborating further, the director-general stated that the programme has so far treated over 1,629 women, with claims verified and paid; pointing out that the initiative, currently active in 18 accredited facilities nationwide is being expanded to include additional tertiary and secondary healthcare providers.
While emphasising the programme’s transformative impact, Ohiri shared a moving testimonial from a woman who contemplated suicide before learning about the program, stressing, her life has been restored and, so have the lives of countless others.
It is pertinent to state that the meeting provided updates on a related initiative, the Seamless Maternal Care (SeaMaC) Programme, aimed at addressing obstetric emergencies and reducing maternal mortality.
The director-general revealed that the SeaMaC programme piloted in Kano and Uyo states has treated over 2,819 women.
This, he noted, will be upscaled to include facilities with high delivery and maternal mortality rates across all states.
