Roche and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) have introduced an 80 per cent subsidy on select cancer medications at Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH).

This is part of the Federal Government’s plan in improving cancer care in Nigeria, according to the Assistant Director, NHIA, Dr. Ugochi Ozoilo, who spoke during the onboarding of JUTH into the oncology cost sharing initiative of the NHIA and Roche.

According to Ozoilo, the aim was to enhance access to drugs for cancer patients, improve patient care, significantly reduce the financial burden on families and bridge the equity gap.

She further said it would improve cancer care affordability and outcomes across the country, explaining that Roche is expected to pay 50 per cent of the drug cost, while the NHIA will pay 30 per cent with the patient enrolled in NHIA paying the 20 per cent balance.

She, however, added that for patients not enrolled in the NHIA scheme, Roche will pay 50 per cent of the drugs cost, while the patient pays the balance 50 per cent cost.

Similarly, Head of Access and Policy of Roche, Mr. Sar Terseer, said the company’s goal is not only to make life-saving medications more accessible, but also to protect patients from the financial catastrophe that often follows a cancer diagnosis.

Terseer said: “We observed that with health insurance support, patients could stay on medication longer, up to 17 or 18 cycles compared to just three cycles due to cumbersome financial constraints.”

Terseer added that the Roche and NHIA partnership had dramatically improved survival outcomes, saying the partnership is more than just cost reduction of medications, but of ensuring equity, early diagnosis, standard of care, and patient navigation.

In his remarks, Chief Medical Director (CMD) of JUTH, Dr. Pokop Bupwatda, said the initiative was a game changer as it would reduce the financial burden for cancer patients.

Bupwatda, represented by Dr. Josiah Njem, Chairman Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) JUTH, said the partnership would also ease the plight in accessing drugs by cancer patients.