# NHIA finances emergency childbirth care for 90,000 women

> NHIA covers emergency childbirth care for 90,000 women in 18 months.
- Title: NHIA finances emergency childbirth care for 90,000 women
- Summary: 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…
- Keywords: nhia, emergency childbirth care, 90000 women, 18 months, obstetric care, maternal health, nigeria, news, politics, finances, emergency, childbirth
- Source: Premium Times Nigeria — https://premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/921287-nhia-finances-emergency-childbirth-care-for-90000-women-in-18-months-official.html
- Author: Premium Times
- Published: 2026-10-29T13:00:13+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: nhia, emergency childbirth care, 90000 women, 18 months, obstetric care, maternal health, nigeria, news, politics
## 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.
## Key takeaway

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.