NHIA, Senate push health taxes to fund healthcare, fight diseases

The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and the Senate have advocated for stronger health tax reforms in Nigeria to improve sustainable healthcare financing, expand health insurance coverage, and reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases. This call was made during a National Stakeholder Co-creation Workshop held in Abuja.

Dr Kelechi Ohiri, the NHIA Director-General, emphasized that health tax reform is a collaborative effort involving various sectors and stakeholders, including the Ministry of Finance, private sector, civil society, media, and others. He highlighted that Nigeria is dealing with infectious diseases, maternal mortality, and a growing burden of non-communicable diseases linked to the consumption of sugary drinks, tobacco, and alcohol.

Health taxes, he said, could help address these issues by influencing consumption patterns and generating domestic resources for healthcare. The Senate had already passed the Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax Bill, awaiting approval from the House of Representatives. Ohiri also stressed the need for appropriate policy, legal, fiscal, and administrative arrangements to ensure effective implementation of the reforms, while citing the Philippines as an example of successful health tax implementation.