Wife of the Senate President, Toyin Ojora Saraki has emphasised that government investment in strengthening health insurance systems is paramount to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Nigeria and around the world.

Saraki who stated this while addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, noted that Civil registration and vital statistics systems must be implemented and strengthened to allow Governments to prepare for epidemics and allocate investment where it is needed the most.

According to Saraki, Investment in family, community and primary healthcare, along with hospitals where needed to bolster healthcare wherever people need it, in rural areas and urban, cities and villages.

She said, “Only two countries in Africa have met the Abuja declaration to pledge 15% of their government budgets to health. Meanwhile, tuberculosis kills more than 4,000 people every single day. This can be avoided.” She said.

“Too many people are plunged into poverty by health emergencies that they or their families experience. Non-communicable diseases kill over 41 million people every year” She added.

Saraki lamented the murder of young midwife and mother, Saifura Hussaini Ahmed Khorsa in Nigeria last week, saying that the incident must spur Governments and global institutions on to strengthen security provisions for frontline health workers, adding that their training and pay conditions must also be improved.