The National Orientation Agency (NOA) will henceforth use its public sensitization platforms to educate and mobilize rural dwellers for inclusion in the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) target of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
Director General of NOA, Dr. Garba Abari who disclosed this while receiving the management of NHIS in his office said the Agency will also work to increase public awareness on the virtues of preventive health as a useful strategy for improving public health. He said the existing partnership between NOA and NHIS would be strengthened to deliver access to healthcare for all, stressing that a healthy population makes a healthy nation.
In his remarks, the NHIS Acting Executive Secretary, Mr. Femi Akingbade said government is working to revitalize 10,000 primary health care facilities within the year to boost the attainment of the three-fold objectives of Universal Health Coverage which include easy access to good health care, qualitative health care delivery and affordable health care for all.
He therefore described NOA as a key strategic organ in delivering on the programmes of government and as a valuable complement to NHIS in achieving its mandates. He said the quest for Universal Health Coverage depends heavily on the structure of NOA to cover rural areas in the country and was optimistic that with Abari’s appointment as NOA Director General, new impetus will be added to the Agency’s drive in public health sensitization.