The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has signed an expanded Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a leading multinational healthcare company, Roche, to ensure affordable cancer care and improve patients’ access to innovative cancer medicines in the country.
The MOU builds upon an already existing MOU signed by the duo in 2021, rooted in a shared vision to significantly increase the number of Nigerians who can benefit from comprehensive cancer care coverage as enrollees of the health insurance scheme.
According to the NHIA, the MOU focuses on streamlining the enrollment process for newly diagnosed patients while ensuring that specialised tests like immunohistochemistry (IHC) and treatment regimens, including Roche innovative therapies, are more accessible and affordable.
Speaking at the signing, the Director General, NHIA, Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, expressed the Authority’s commitment to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Nigeria. He noted the catastrophic financial burden cancer places on Nigerians and expressed confidence that the programme will alleviate hardship, ensuring Nigerians are healthier and more productive.
He said, “The NHIA is scaling the quality and scope of cancer diagnostic and treatment services at tertiary care centres. In the coming weeks, we will launch health insurance awareness campaigns as well. I’m using this opportunity to encourage every Nigerian to enrol for health insurance in order to benefit from coverage.”
On his part, the General Manager, Roche Nigeria, Dr. Ladi Hameed, said that with the agreement, every newly diagnosed cancer patient has the opportunity to access the treatment they need to improve their outcomes and quality of life while meaningfully contributing to the Nigerian economy.
The NHIA noted that since the first NHIA-Roche MOU in 2021, the number of cancer ‘Centres of Excellence’ has almost tripled from 7 to a current total of 20. This signals a strong commitment by the NHIA in enhancing access to high-quality cancer services for citizens nationwide.
It stated that the MOU also creates access to patient navigation and counselling services, an important but often neglected component of cancer treatment.
“The expanded MOU is yet another weapon in the fight against breast cancer, the leading cause of death among Nigerian women. In 2022, according to the Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN), there were over 30,000 new cases of breast cancer in Nigeria,” it added.
“Patients face considerable barriers to accessing timely and effective care as costs are paid for out-of-pocket by over eighty per cent of Nigerians. This expanded MOU is a critical step towards alleviating these challenges by providing hope and financial protection for individuals and families affected by cancer. The initiative by NHIA and Roche to improve access to care complements other efforts to improve accurate diagnosis and treatment of cancer.”
Both Roche and the NHIA are leveraging their expertise and resources to strengthen the existing framework for cancer care. This includes initiatives aimed at improving accurate diagnosis of cancer, simplifying patient navigation, and ensuring the sustainable provision of life-saving cancer medicines through the NHIA.
