Less than 20 per cent of Nigerians have access to health Insurance —UNICEF

In its weekly poll result, U-report Nigeria, an SMS-based initiative of the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) revealed that only 19 percent of U-reporters have access to health insurance scheme.

The poll which centered on how much Nigerians knew about Health Insurance showed that “69 per cent of U-reporters knew what health insurance is, but only 19 per cent of them said they have health insurance scheme

The respondents to the poll also expressed that “49 per cent of insurance was being paid for by the government.”

Health insurance is a kind of insurance against the risk of incurring medical expenses among individuals. It protects people by helping them afford health care beyond the freely available services.

Reacting to the result, Oluwaseun Akingboye said private employers are not doing enough for their employers on health matters. “It is so bad because only few private employers care about the health of their employees.”

U-report, which was launched by the UNICEF on April 20, had over 20,000 registered members in its first eight weeks. The initiative is to ensure that an average Nigerian has access to up-to-date information in its environment on health, education and other aspects.

UNICEF consultant on the initiative, Caroline Barabwoha, enthused that the power of U-report lies in its number. “U-report is already making waves in Burundi, Uganda and DR Congo, with the potentials in Nigeria, we are confident that this program is going to be a success

“We are in partnership with the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) and we also want to expand our network to all Nigerians.” On issues concerning the multi ethnicity nature of Nigeria, Barebwoha said “to make communication accessible, U-report is set to adopt the five major languages in Nigeria; Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Pidgin and English as means of communication.”

Furthermore, she added that there is no age limit to join the platform. “All you need is just your phone. Send ‘join’ to 24453 and what makes it unique is the fact that it is absolutely free.”

Source Tribune