Over 20 million residents will now have access to affordable healthcare thanks to a new health insurance initiative being rolled out by the Lagos State Health Scheme (LSHS). Ekiti State, in the Southwest of Nigeria, rolled out a similar plan in July 2020.

Through the new Universal Health Coverage (UHC) policy, residents of Lagos will have access to care in any hospital of their choice for N8,500 (US$22) per year – a family of six would pay N40,000. Benefits of the plan include treatment for common diseases such as malaria, diarrhoea, diabetes and hypertension, and access to family planning services, laboratory tests and ultrasounds. Lagos residents can enrol immediately, Emmanuella Zamba, General Manager of the Lagos State Health Management Agency, said.

Zamba added that the State Government is committed to ensuring that treatment received from health facilities, either public or private, under the LSHS, will be of high quality with a minimal waiting period.