National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Deputy CEO Champions Women's Health Rights at Africa Women’s Health Summit

Dr. Yaa-Pokuaa Baiden, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) in charge of Administration and Human Resources, has emphasized that equitable healthcare access for women is a fundamental human right. Addressing the 2nd Africa Women’s Health Summit in Accra, themed ‘A New Dawn of Partnership for Women’s Health,’ she called for comprehensive strategies to improve women’s health access.

In her keynote address, Dr. Baiden highlighted the need for enhanced collaboration between healthcare institutions, development communities, and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to achieve a vision where every woman can live a healthy and dignified life. She urged the private sector and NGOs to leverage resources to ensure affordable and equitable distribution of essential medicines, emphasizing that quality healthcare should be a fundamental right for all women in Ghana.

Dr. Baiden reiterated NHIA’s commitment to women’s health through continued innovation, stressing the importance of sharing best practices and developing strategies for comprehensive women’s health access. She encouraged collaboration with the research and development community to accelerate innovative solutions for women-specific healthcare needs.

NHIA’s Innovations and Strategic Partnerships

Dr. Baiden showcased various innovative strategies implemented by NHIA to enhance access to essential medicines and vaccines for women. Key initiatives include:

C Free Maternal Care: NHIA has removed financial barriers to maternal healthcare, covering antenatal care, routine medications, and emergency obstetric care. This initiative aims to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity, ensuring quality healthcare for women across Ghana.

Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment: The inclusion of breast and cervical cancer treatment in the NHIS benefit package, highlighted by the significant reduction in the cost of Herceptin, has allowed over 1,000 women to access life-saving treatments. This partnership with Roche represents a milestone in cancer care, offering hope to women diagnosed with these conditions.

Family Planning Services: Recognizing the importance of family planning, NHIA included these services in its benefit package, offering a range of contraceptive methods at no cost. This initiative empowers women to make informed decisions about their reproductive health, contributing to better maternal and child health outcomes.

Public-Private Partnerships: Dr. Baiden stressed the importance of strategic partnerships in facilitating access to medicines. Collaborations between local and foreign pharmaceutical firms have helped address health inequities and ensure sustainable distribution of essential medicines, including vaccines and anti-malarials.

Generic Medications: By including medications in their generic forms on the NHIS medicines list, NHIA has reduced healthcare costs and expanded access to essential medicines, fostering a sustainable healthcare system.

Achievements and Future Directions

Dr. Baiden celebrated the increasing dominance of women in NHIS active membership, with a national outlook of 58.6% female members in 2019, and a health insurance coverage for women reaching 90% in 2022. She underscored the need for tailored solutions to address women's specific health needs, ensuring the effectiveness of the National Health Insurance Scheme.

The 2nd Africa Women’s Health Summit, organized by Africa Health Business (AHB) in collaboration with Roche, Healthcare Federation Ghana, and MSD, aimed to address equitable access to medicines and vaccines for women's health across Africa. Dr. Baiden called for sustained investment in healthcare infrastructure, workforce training, and research to further advance women’s health outcomes, advocating for a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) health financing model to create a better, healthier future for women globally.

Source by www.ghanaweb.com