WellaHealth commits to provide affordable quality healthcare for Nigerians

Nigeria-based technology-driven healthcare startup, WellaHealth, has reiterated commitment to provide easy access to quality and timely healthcare through affordable basic health insurance coverage in the country.

The Chief Executive Officer, WellaHealth, Dr. Ikpeme Neto, said the health startup, is also poised to reduce the need for self-medication and eliminate massive out-of-pocket health expenses for the over 97 per cent of Nigerians not covered by formal health plans.

According to Neto, WellaHealth has expanded to cover consultation for other common illnesses, infections and now chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension, adding that users can get all these and even diet plans for as low as N800 per month at their nearest pharmacy.

Neto stated that Africa is faced with significant public health challenges, with undiagnosed diabetes topping the chart and accounting for most global malaria mortality.

According to him, in Nigeria, with over 200 million people, the health sector is vastly underfunded, with public spending of about four per cent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on healthcare.

Neto said this has left over 97 per cent of Nigerians without health insurance and forcing households to pay out-of-pocket for around 72 per cent of their health expenses.

He said at the moment, countries in sub-Saharan Africa have the lowest patient-to-doctor ratio in the world, with 0.23 doctors for every 10,000 people, compared to 84.2 doctors in the most developed countries.

Neto said in a swift response to the declining healthcare sector, WellaHealth emerged in 2017 with cutting-edge health solutions that leveraged medical facilities, HMO resources and digital technologies to change how people access quality healthcare services nationwide.

He said knowing that Nigerian healthcare system is in desperate need of change, WellaHealth rapidly expanded coverage and scope of medical services by launching enhanced WellaHealth 2.0.

Neto said it also acquired the online health platform, Wellvis, in 2022 to strengthen its telemedicine capabilities to ensure fast, quality, and affordable medical services.

WellaHealth, due to it commitment to innovation and bringing quality medical care closer to the people, has recently achieved landmark recognition by featuring at Times Square and being named by the Norrsken Foundation as one of the 100 most impactful global startups driving positive change.

Also, over the last few years, WellaHealth has been selected for the $100,000 PandemicTech Innovation Fellowship, joined the Catalyst Fund backed by UK Aid and JPMorgan Chase, marked World Stroke Day with free blood pressure tests for over 100,000 Nigerians across its 600 partner pharmacies.

The health startup has also partnered with Verve to provide quality and affordable healthcare access to Verve cardholders as well as state governments to expand operations across Nigeria.

Other partners include Stanbic IBTC for WellaHealth insurance subscription functionality, Piggyvest for its corporate social responsibility to provide malaria health cover to Nigerians and was subsequently shortlisted for Google’s $4 million Black Founders Fund (BFF).

Neto further disclosed that WellaHealth is developing an enhanced partnership for Good Initiative with companies seeking to deploy health plans for their customers and communities, thereby putting together a Holiday Giving Initiative and offering people the avenue to cover the health benefits of others.