The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called on Nigeria to strengthen the use of research and evidence in designing health financing policies that can accelerate progress toward Universal Health Coverage.
at the ongoing National Health Financing Dialogue in Abuja, Dr Robert Marten of the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, made this statement while presenting a paper on Global Experience with Using Research and Evidence to Inform Policy.
The dialogue, convened to establish a strong evidence base for increased and sustained financing, is expected to chart new pathways for private sector participation, sub-national financing, and stronger accountability frameworks in the health sector.
Marten, stressing the importance of reducing out-of-pocket health spending by scaling up enrolment in the National Health Insurance Authority, noted that while there was consensus on what needed to be done, the how remained unclear, which was where health policy and systems research was crucial.