NHIA supports emergency childbirth care for 90,000 women in 18 months

The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) says around 90,000 women have benefitted from its emergency obstetric care program in the last 18 months.

Kelechi Ohiri, the Director-General of the NHIA, shared this on Thursday during the 2026 Future of Health Conference organized by Nigeria Health Watch in Abuja.

The conference, with the theme “From Innovation to Impact: The Future of Health is Now,” brought together policymakers, health professionals, researchers, investors, and development partners to discuss ways to improve health innovations and healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

Mr Ohiri explained that the program aims to help women facing complications during childbirth who may be delayed or denied treatment due to high hospital bills.

He mentioned that the initiative covers accredited hospitals across all states, with more facilities being added. “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. The treatment will be financed and paid for by the NHIA,” he said.

He highlighted the importance of this initiative since women with complications during childbirth often face dangerous delays while hospitals wait for deposits and families struggle to gather the money.

Mr Ohiri noted that the intervention was created after the government realized it could not wait until all Nigerians had health insurance before tackling preventable maternal deaths.

He stated that the program is one of the ways the government is addressing specific issues in healthcare delivery while expanding overall health insurance coverage. “Does it mean that people are not dying? Well, no. But it means that story doesn’t have to end in human pain,” he said.

He emphasized that the government must take action to remove barriers that stop people from getting timely healthcare.

Mr Ohiri also mentioned that about 6,000 women have received treatment for obstetric fistula through an NHIA-financed intervention with help from other partners.

Obstetric fistula is an abnormal opening between the birth canal and the bladder or rectum, often caused by prolonged or obstructed labor. This condition can lead to ongoing leakage of urine or feces, causing stigma and social exclusion for affected women.

The condition is usually preventable and treatable, but many women face challenges accessing care due to costs.

Mr Ohiri said the intervention has helped women get treatment and regain their dignity. “Roughly 6,000 women have had their lives turned around because a disease that is mostly curable and treatable but that eroded them of any form of life and dignity has been corrected and paid for,” he said.