The Coordinator of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) in Kwara, Hajiya Idayat Bello-Olaitan, has announced that the scheme now includes care for Vesicovaginal Fistula (VVF) patients as part of its efforts to enrol 71 affected individuals in the state.

Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Ilorin, she revealed that 71 women have already benefited from the Free Fistula Programme (FFP), with 31 of them successfully enrolled under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).

NAN reports that VVF refers to an abnormal connection between the bladder and the vagina, leading to persistent and uncontrollable urinary incontinence. This condition is considered one of the most distressing complications arising from gynaecologic and obstetric procedures.

She coordinator, therefore, said “government is focusing on crashing maternal mortality and morbidity through various maternal intervention programmes such as NHIA-FFP and Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric Care (CEmOC).

“Women with obstetric fistula are being attended to without incurring out-of-pocket expenses.

“Feeding and transportation cost are also covered for all beneficiaries of the programme.”

The NHIA coordinator explained that the beneficiaries are also counseled on family planning and access to the different methods of child-spacing methods, as well enrollment into another health insurance programme under BHCPF by the state's Social Health Insurance Agency.

According to her, it is part of the comprehensive package to ensure prevention of catastrophic spending as a result of the obstetric condition.

Bello-Olaitan said that the authority is directing its strategic focus on those priority areas to ensure quality healthcare services to all Nigerians, especially the vulnerable groups so as to leave no one behind.

She also disclosed that other programmes introduced by the scheme are cases of maternal emergencies such as pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, haemorrhage, pueperial sepsis, post abortion complications and prolong obstructed labour.

“These are among the commonest causes of maternal mortality and morbidity among pregnant women, especially the vulnerable ones,” she said.

She pointed out that the state is benefiting from the programmes, with many success stories recorded since inception in 2024.

“This is in alignment with the president's renewed hope agenda, which focuses on education, health and social development,” she said.