The Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has stated that the World Leaders and Public office holders has health insurance as a vital tool as a leverage for a bid to achieve Universal Healthcare Coverage for citizens.
At an event at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House, London. Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu dropped a statement on that sunday.
“Universal health coverage in Nigeria” was the theme Sanwo-Olu spoke on that sunday. Optimising institutional opportunities and partnerships for success, advised global think tanks to optimize institutional opportunities and partnerships for the achievement of UHC.
He said, “Developing countries must first focus on offering their residents a basic minimum set of healthcare services in order to achieve UHC, provided free at the point of care using subsidy, controlled premiums or at a pre-set tariff system, within government-regulated facilities either public or affiliated private.
Health insurance is a vital tool to use and act faster as a leverage to in our mission to achieve UHF, and we have given our full support to newly established National Health Insurance Act, and mandated our Lagos State Health Management Agency to domesticate and enroll residents of Lagos into the Lagos State Social Health Insurance Scheme.”
Sanwo-Olu also explained that the state has embarked on partnerships to strengthen its primary health system.
“The state is leveraging partnerships with global organizations like Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Global Fund amongst others, to explore innovative ways to strengthen our primary health system. I believe that such organizations' decisions to directly fund sub-nationals like Lagos State is a testament to the clarity of our vision and our drive to achieve results.
“The state has commenced two pilot projects: The Lagos State Oncology Centre and the Omotunde Ajoke Cole Smart Hospital. The success of these projects will mark a new dawn in our health system, where the best of the public and private sectors come together to provide world-class affordable healthcare,” he added.
