By Iliya Kure
A Non Governmental Organisation, Nigeria Health Watch, has called on States in the country to expedite action on Health Insurance Laws to cater for the health needs of their residents, especially the vulnerable who find it difficult to access quality healthcare.
Health Communication Advisor of the NGO, Ifeanyi Nsofor made the call at a State Health Insurance Experience Meeting in Goshen City, near Abuja, for participants drawn from 16 States of Nigeria, with experiences on State Health Insurance Bill.
The meeting was for the States who were at different levels of the Health Insurance Law process to share experiences in their law formulation, passage and implementation with each other, as well as other participants drawn from communities, civil societies and professional bodies.
“As the call for better healthcare and health access increases, we at Nigeria Health Watch think it is important, more than ever before, to deepen discussions on health insurance in Nigeria and awaken Nigerians to the possibilities that exist for the health insurance sector to move forward this year,” Ifeanyi said.
According to him, Nigeria Health Watch is working hard to help states come up with laws that are applicable in their domains and acceptable to their populace.
He told State representatives, “we are confident that this meeting would be an important avenue for you to share with Nigerians your experience in the health insurance journey in your state.”
He had earlier told AFICA PRIME NEWS that, “At last count, nine States either have existing health insurance laws 
or recently signed laws establishing state health insurance laws including Lagos State which successfully signed the Lagos State Health Scheme into Law this month. This has led to a rise in the expectations of many Nigerians, including health sector professionals, NGOs working in the health sector, and the international donor community.”
The meeting supported by Christian Aid, an International NGO, featured paper presentations by various states on their experiences in the health insurance. it also featured panel discussions.