The Edo State Coordinator of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Theodore Ehannire, has reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to strengthening partnerships with the Edo State Government to expand access to affordable and quality healthcare services across the state.

Dr. Ehannire made this known during a courtesy visit to Hon. Pius Alile, the Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the Deputy Governor, Edo State, as part of the NHIA’s ongoing stakeholder engagement initiatives.

He highlighted several key interventions currently being implemented by the NHIA, including the Edo–Ovia Constituency Project, the Free Fistula Programme (FFP), and the Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric Care (CEmOC) initiative. These, he said, are designed to strengthen healthcare delivery and promote equitable access to essential health services.

According to him, the Edo–Ovia Constituency Project is being executed in collaboration with Hon. Dennis Idahosa, the Deputy Governor of Edo State, who has generously sponsored the initiative to improve healthcare delivery within his constituency and beyond.

Providing updates on the progress of NHIA’s maternal health programmes, Dr. Ehannire revealed that 225 women have benefited from the CEmOC initiative, while 37 women have received treatment and insurance coverage under the Free Fistula Programme. These milestones, he noted, reflect NHIA’s unwavering commitment to reducing maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality in the state.

He explained that the CEmOC programme provides comprehensive coverage for women at risk of maternal mortality from complications such as pre-eclampsia/eclampsia, haemorrhage, prolonged obstructed labour, sepsis, and post-abortion complications. The FFP, on the other hand, supports women suffering from obstetric fistula by funding conservative and surgical treatments, transportation to the National Obstetric Fistula Centre (NOFIC), and offering education, counseling, and family planning services.

Dr. Ehannire emphasised that achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) remains at the core of NHIA’s mandate, adding that collaboration with the Edo State Government will be pivotal in deepening health insurance penetration, especially at the grassroots level.

In his response, Hon. Pius Alile commended NHIA for its impactful initiatives and assured the team of the government’s sustained support toward improving healthcare access and outcomes across Edo State.