OSAS EMMANUEL
The Federal Government, FG, in its efforts to make drugs available, affordable and accessible to Nigerians, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with Pfizer, a leading biotech company.
Speaking during the signing of the MoU in Abuja, the Director-General, National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Mohammed Sambo, said the agreement is important to the agency’s journey toward achieving universal health coverage.
“The authority‘s medicine supply initiative is to ensure that medicine supply and other products are affordable, available, accessible and acceptable for the consumption of all Nigerians.
“The signing is a major health status that will improve the health of Nigeria and with partnership with Pfizer, a committee will be formed to draw the roadmap for full implementation of the MoU.
Sambo further noted that the signing of the MoU mark an important milestone in its journey of reforms within the NHIA and the health insurance ecosystem in Nigeria.
According to him, the organisation has since 2019 introduced several reforms anchored on the three-point rebranding agenda: value reorientation, transparency and accountability, and accelerating the drive towards Universal Health Coverage.
He said, “The NHIA Medicines Supply Initiative (NMSI) is one of the major reforms we have introduced in order to ensure that medicines and other products are affordable, available, accessible, acceptability and of good quality for the benefit of all Nigerians.The NMSI has three main components: Drug Branding, Cost-Sharing and Innovative Financing.
“Under the Cost Sharing we are collaborating with various pharmaceutical companies to improve financial access to high cost/innovative medicines. Already some Nigerians are benefiting from this initiative at NHIA Accredited Pilot Centres across the country.
“Today we are taking another bold step by signing an MoU with Pfizer which is a globally recognised Pharmaceutical Company renowned for its investment in research and development as well as production of quality medicines.
“Pfizer Limited is partnering with the Authority in a cost sharing arrangement to make its brand of the Carbapenem (Meropenem) which is an antibiotic, more affordable to Nigerians. Under this arrangement Pfizer will provide the molecules to NHIA at 50 per cent of its cost.
“With the signing into law of the NHIA Act 2022, we at NHIA have a mandate to ensure all Nigerians have financial access to quality health care.
“It is our hope that this collaboration will improve health outcomes especially for vulnerable Nigerians who hitherto may not be able to afford Meropenem and similar drugs.”
On his part, Olayinka Subair, Pfizer West Africa country manager, said as a global pharmaceuticals company, Pfizer leads the way in disease management, with the vision to bring the best medicines to the reach of the patients.
Subair said the MoU would bring into reality the company’s desire to reduce healthcare disparity among the rich and the poor, irrespective of the locations globally.
“Today, we are coming with critical care products, managing infection and in future. We will bring in other curative medicines that are globally released for treatment of various illnesses including cancer and other health situations.”
