The Executive Secretary, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof. Mohammed Sambo says proceeds of the newly introduced beverages tax will strengthen Universal Health Coverage in the country.
Sambo said this at the Health Financing Policy Dialogue organised by Pharm Access Foundation, in collaboration with the World Bank and Nigeria Health Watch, on Thursday in Abuja.
The dialogue has the theme: “New Health Financing Approaches in Nigeria: Implementation of SSB tax in Nigeria.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that under the Sugar-Sweetened Beverage (SSB) Tax, consumers will pay N10 per litre on all non-alcoholic, carbonated and sweetened beverages.
Sambo said that the new tax regime and the codification of the NHIS as a legal entity would enable the organisation to deploy funds for optimal health coverage.
In his remarks, Director General, Budget Office, Mr Ben Akabueze, said the prevalence of non-communicable diseases was on the rise in the country.
“Prevention is always better than cure; we should not wait to get to a crisis point to take steps,” he added.
According to him, the SSB tax will decrease sugar intake and the cost of managing the disease load from sugar consumption.
Dr Olumide Okunola, Senior Health Specialist, Health, Nutrition and Population, World Bank Group, said Nigeria was among countries with the highest number of soft drink consumers and the figure was expected to rise.
Okunola said that no country could achieve universal health coverage without public financing.
Meanwhile, Dr Ngozi Azodoh, Director of Health Planning Research and Statistics, Federal Ministry of Health, said that the new tax would help to reduce sugar intake by adults and children.
“Nigerians need to start thinking about what they can do right now to protect their health in the future,” she added.
Dr Njide Ndili of Pharm Access Foundation said that the pro-health tax would bridge the gap in donor funding of the health sector since the drop recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We felt it was necessary to begin discussing corporate funding for the country in the light of what other countries are doing.
“We started collaborations to discuss how we can achieve local resource mobilisation for the country and this is the angle for our discussions today,” Ndidi said.
The Managing Director, Nigeria Health Watch, Mrs Vivianne Ihekweazu, said the organisation would continue to push for funding for the country’s health sector.
Ihekweazu expressed happiness with the N10 tax and how it would inject funds into the country’s health care system.
She said Nigeria’s Primary Healthcare Centres were underfunded, as such any increase in financing the health sector would enhance citizens’ access to better and higher quality health care.
(NAN)
