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NHIA finances emergency childbirth care for 90,000 women
NHIA covers emergency childbirth care for 90,000 women in 18 months.
In brief
NHIA covers emergency childbirth care for 90,000 women in 18 months. The National Health Insurance Authority has financed emergency obstetric care for 90,000 women in 18 months to prevent maternal deaths from unaffordable hospital bills. Originally reported by Premium Times Nigeria.
NHIA emergency obstetric care
The National Health Insurance Authority says about 90,000 women have benefited from its emergency obstetric care programme over the past 18 months.
Programme prevents treatment delays
The programme was designed to prevent women experiencing complications during childbirth from being denied or delayed treatment because they could not afford hospital bills.
NHIA director-general Kelechi Ohiri
The Director-General of the NHIA, Kelechi Ohiri, disclosed this at the 2026 Future of Health Conference organised by Nigeria Health Watch in Abuja.
Conference theme
The conference, themed 'From Innovation to Impact: The Future of Health is Now', brings together policymakers, health professionals, researchers, investors and development partners.
Coverage across hospitals
The initiative covers accredited hospitals across all states, with additional facilities being enrolled daily.
300 accredited hospitals
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, gets treatment financed by NHIA.
Obstetric fistula treatment
Approximately 6,000 women have received treatment for obstetric fistula through an NHIA-financed intervention with partner support.
Obstetric fistula explained
Obstetric fistula is an abnormal opening between the birth canal and the bladder or rectum that can develop following prolonged or obstructed labour.
Fistula treatment impact
The intervention helped women access treatment and regain their dignity, turning lives around from a condition that eroded their life and dignity.
NHIA's motivation
The government recognised it could not wait until every Nigerian was covered by health insurance before addressing preventable maternal deaths.
Healthcare access priority
The programme was among the approaches the government adopted to address specific gaps in healthcare delivery while expanding broader health insurance coverage.
NHIA director's quote
Does it mean that people are not dying? Well, no. But it means that story doesn’t have to end in human pain.
Government responsibility
The government needs to take responsibility for addressing barriers that prevent people from receiving timely healthcare.
Future of Health Conference
The Future of Health Conference is Nigeria Health Watch’s flagship annual gathering, established in 2015 to discuss healthcare policy and innovation.
The bottom line
The National Health Insurance Authority has financed emergency obstetric care for 90,000 women in 18 months to prevent maternal deaths from unaffordable hospital bills.
