{
  "id": 17073113,
  "title": "Health reforms should show results, save lives — NHIA boss",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/29/health-reforms-should-show-results-save-lives-nhia-boss-17073113",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-29T14:38:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch Nigeria",
    "slug": "punch-nigeria",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/health-reforms-should-show-results-save-lives-nhia-boss/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Dr Kelechi Ohiri, Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), has emphasized that health innovations must lead to tangible improvements in Nigerians' lives. Speaking at the 2026 Future of Health Conference in Abuja, Ohiri warned that policies and technology alone are insufficient to tackle the country's healthcare challenges without effective implementation. He highlighted government interventions that have enabled thousands of women to access emergency childbirth care without upfront payments, with 19,000 women benefiting from the NHIA's emergency obstetric care programme over the past 18 months. The programme finances the cost of care for women experiencing complications during childbirth, aiming to prevent avoidable deaths caused by delays in accessing treatment. Ohiri also spoke about the authority's work in providing treatment for obstetric fistula, benefiting about 6,000 women. He stressed that the success of these programmes should be measured by real improvements in people's lives, rather than speeches or policy announcements. Ohiri called for a shift in Nigeria's healthcare approach, advocating for greater domestic ownership of health priorities and sustainable financing mechanisms. The NHIA operates under the Nigerian Health Sector Reform Investment Initiative, which focuses on governance, service delivery, health financing, and health security. The authority is also working with state governments to integrate services into health insurance schemes, enrolling approximately 70,000 people through this approach. Ohiri emphasized the importance of supporting local research and ensuring that promising innovations are evaluated, funded, and expanded beyond pilot projects.",
  "summary": "The NHIA Director-General, Dr Kelechi Ohiri, says health innovations must translate into measurable improvements and save lives, not just be policies. Read More: https://punchng.com/health-reforms-should-show-results-save-lives-nhia-boss/",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}