NHIA finances emergency childbirth care for 90,000 women in 18 months — Official

The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) says about 90,000 women have benefited from its emergency obstetric care programme over the past 18 months.

The Director-General of the NHIA, Kelechi Ohiri, disclosed this on Thursday at the 2026 Future of Health Conference organised by Nigeria Health Watch in Abuja.

The conference, themed “From Innovation to Impact: The Future of Health is Now”, brings together policymakers, health professionals, researchers, investors and development partners to discuss how to scale up effective health innovations and improve healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

Mr Ohiri said the programme was designed to prevent women experiencing complications during childbirth from being denied or delayed treatment because they could not afford hospital bills.

He said the initiative covered accredited hospitals across all states, with additional facilities being enrolled.

“About 300 hospitals across the country, fully accredited, every state, and more being added daily, where any woman that has a complication in childbirth, no questions asked. The treatment will be financed and paid for by the NHIA,” he said.

He said the intervention was necessary because women experiencing complications during childbirth could face dangerous delays when hospitals request deposits and their families struggle to raise the money.

Mr Ohiri said the intervention was developed after the government recognised that it could not wait until every Nigerian was covered by health insurance before addressing preventable maternal deaths.

He said the programme was among the approaches the government had adopted to address specific gaps in healthcare delivery while broader health insurance coverage was being expanded.

“Does it mean that people are not dying? Well, no. But it means that story doesn’t have to end in human pain,” he said.

He said the government needed to take responsibility for addressing barriers that prevent people from receiving timely healthcare.

Fistula treatment

Mr Ohiri also said approximately 6,000 women had received treatment for obstetric fistula through an intervention financed by the NHIA with support from other partners.

Obstetric fistula is an abnormal opening between the birth canal and the bladder or rectum that can develop following prolonged or obstructed labour. It can cause persistent leakage of urine or faeces and expose affected women to stigma and social exclusion.

The condition is often preventable and can be treated, but access to treatment remains a challenge for women who cannot afford care.

Mr Ohiri said the intervention had helped women access treatment and regain their dignity.

“Roughly 6,000 women have had their lives turned around because a disease that is mostly curable and treatable but that eroded them of any form of life and dignity has been corrected and paid for,” he said.

Future of Health Conference

The Future of Health Conference is Nigeria Health Watch’s flagship annual gathering, established in 2015 to bring together stakeholders to discuss policies, partnerships and innovations capable of improving healthcare in Nigeria.

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Its previous editions have examined universal health coverage, health technology, healthcare investment, quality of care, health innovation, gender equality, and the role of the private sector in strengthening the health system.

According to the organisers, this year’s programme includes 10 speakers, four innovation showcases and three side events designed to encourage collaboration among policymakers, innovators, investors and development partners.

The discussions are intended to identify practical ways to expand effective healthcare interventions, strengthen local capacity and improve access to quality and affordable healthcare.

Nigeria Health Watch is a not-for-profit health communications and advocacy organisation that promotes evidence-informed decision-making and policy action to improve health outcomes in Nigeria.