The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Thursday commenced the enrollment of pregnant women into the FCT Health Insurance Scheme.
This is accompanied by the distribution of free delivery kits to the women enrolled in the scheme.
The initiative, which is in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) aims to curb maternal and child mortality in the territory.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of State for FCT, Dr Mariya Mahmoud said, the administration will extend the health insurance coverage to the formal and informal sectors.
Dr Mahmoud, who was represented by her Chief of Staff, Dr Abdullahi Kauran-Mata noted that the insurance scheme will ensure every resident has access to quality healthcare services without any financial burden.
She warned the Health Maintenance Organisations against delays in releasing funds to approved health facilities.
“What this means is that funds are now available that will enable everyone on the scheme to have access to quality healthcare services without any financial shock,” she said.
In her remark, the Mandate Secretary of the FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr Adedolapo Fasawe said health insurance is a priority for the present administration.
Dr Fasawe said the dedication to the health insurance scheme aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda, which emphasizes the administration’s commitment to ensuring that no pregnant woman dies due to childbirth.
She said health insurance is health assured, noting that it is an abomination for any pregnant woman to die due to childbirth complications.
“It is not only during delivery that women have complications, at times it occurs after delivery. It has been documented that there are post-natal infections that these pregnant women have that they don’t treat and these infections can lead to death,” she said.
“Now the insurance scheme covers antenatal care of the pregnant woman and it covers them during delivery.”
She noted that “during delivery, we have added an innovation- the safe delivery kit, having realized that there are many women who go to Traditional Birth Attendants and these packs here are absolutely sterile and the things inside protect the mother, the child, and the caregiver.”
Dr Fasawe explained that every pregnant woman in the FCT who cannot afford to pay for health insurance will be registered under the vulnerable group for free.
“Already in Abuja, antenatal care is free of charge, delivery is not free, but the essence of today is to let people know that even if you cannot afford to pay for health insurance, that would be taken care of, we will register you for free, even the baby would be taken care of for a year under the health insurance scheme,” she said.
In her goodwill message, the FCT State Director of the USAID Integrated Health Programme, Dr Frances-Lois Adewumi pledged the agency’s commitment to supporting the FCT in maternal and child care.
Dr Adewumi said with a premium payment of N13,500 yearly, every resident can have access to good quality services under the sheme.
Maternal mortality
It is no longer news that Nigeria’s Maternal Mortality Rate is one of the highest in the world.
The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa says that one in seven global maternal deaths occurs in Nigeria. That is more than 50,000 women dying per year in Nigeria.
A 2023 report also indicated that Nigeria accounts for the second-highest number of maternal and child deaths globally.
The report shows that Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation is only behind India in the latest ranking.
It noted that in 2020, 788 women and children died ‘per thousand’ in India and 540 women and children ‘per thousand’ died in Nigeria.
In the same year, India accounted for 17 per cent of global maternal, and neonatal deaths and stillbirths, while Nigeria accounts for 12 per cent.
Eight other countries with high maternal, neonatal , and stillbirths are Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Afghanistan, and the United Republic of Tanzania.
The report estimates that globally, there were a combined 4.5 million maternal and neonatal deaths and stillbirths in 2020.
Health experts, however, said about 95 per cent of deaths during childbirth are preventable.