THE NIGERIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY
ISSN: 0331-4111 e-ISSN: 2736-075X
Volume 22, No. 2, November 2024
Pages 148-160
DOI: 10.36108/NJSA/4202.22.0201
National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and Sustainable Healthcare in Benue State, Nigeria: A Focus on Access and Service Delivery
1 Akpenpuun Joyce Rumun, 2Joy Nguavese Waroh and 3 Eugene Amaakaven Tyokever
1 Department of Sociology, Benue State University, Makurdi, Nsukka, Nigeria
2 Department of Sociology, Federal University of Lafia, Lafia, Nigeria
3 Department of Social Studies, College of Education, Katsina Ala, Nigeria
Abstract
Access to healthcare services remains a challenge across countries of the world with undesirable effects on health of individuals and societal development. The Nigerian government in her commitment to improve health of Nigerians introduced the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) with aims of providing affordable and accessible healthcare for the citizenry. This study assessed the impact of NHIA on sustainable health of Federal civil servants in Benue State and identified challenges affecting access to healthcare services under the NHIA scheme. Cross-sectional mixed-methods design was adopted. Questionnaire and Key Informant Interview (KII) were used to collect data from 300 NHIA enrollees. The survey collected data on enrollees’ experiences with the NHIA including satisfaction with the scheme, quality of care received, financial burden of healthcare and also explored challenges of accessing healthcare services under NHIA in Benue State. Quantitative data were analysed using frequency distribution tables while qualitative data were content analysed. 54.33% of respondents observed that the NHIA do not have significant impact on sustainable health of civil servants in Benue State. Challenges affecting access to healthcare services under the NHIA included limitation of healthcare service coverage (41.33%), service delivery delays (32.67%) and corruption in the scheme (17.0 %). The study recommended that the Government and health policy makers should make efforts in ensuring coverage of NHIA services is expanded to cover all areas of healthcare services. The government should also ensure provision of adequate equipment and required drugs for hospitals listed under NHIA.
Keywords: Healthcare coverage, NHIA, sustainable health, access, delivery