With less than 5 per cent health insurance coverage, many rural dwellers remain socially excluded. Hence the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) launched a programme on 21st July 2014 using mobile telecommunications infrastructure within Nigerian cyberspace as platform for enrolling additional health insurance beneficiaries.
National Mobile Health Insurance Programme (NMHIP), Mobile Health (mHealth), is a NHIS initiative supported by the Nigerian Communications Commission, MTN Nigeria, Salt & Einstein and other stakeholders.
NMHIP lets mobile subscribers enrol by using phones to send a short toll-free code gaining access to a mobile health menu that prompts them to select their Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) and to advance premiums through flexible pre-payment options (including deductions from phone recharges) prior to accessing health care.
Features:
- The system leverages existing mobile telecoms subscriber database (including biometrics) as initial data for populating the mHealth platform.
- The programme boosts Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and is projected to capture additional 40 million enrollees across different Nigerian population sectors by 2015.
- Business intelligence and analytics achieved using Health Information Exchange (HIE) to aggregate health care information electronically.
- Facilitates secure mobility of health data.
- Grassroots participation eliminates social exclusion of economically-disadvantaged.
Award Region
Award Year
2014
Country
Guideline book
Region
Main country
Main region