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A Professor of Rheumatology at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Segun Oguntona, has called on the government to include medications for autoimmune diseases under the National Health Insurance Scheme, citing the high cost of treatment.
Speaking during the university’s 122nd inaugural lecture titled “Joint Diseases and Internal Organ Complications: Unmasking Immune Tolerance As The Culprit”, on Tuesday, Oguntona highlighted the severe impact of rheumatologic conditions, which can lead to kidney and heart failure, blindness, lung defects, and other complications.
He lamented the shortage of specialists in the field, noting that Nigeria currently has only one paediatric rheumatologist trained in the last two years.
Describing the financial burden on patients, Oguntona said, “Biologics are the most expensive drugs, and they are the lifesaving medications for patients with autoimmune conditions.
“The outcome of most of these diseases is relatively good in the Asian countries compared with what we see in this part of the world because of the free medical treatment they enjoy, as against patients paying out of pocket in a country like Nigeria.
“People with health insurance coverage could not benefit from these biologics due to the fact that health insurance does not cover them because of their cost. One could imagine a dose of a biologic drug costing over half a million, repeat the treatment in two weeks, and the drugs are repeated as often as necessary, again.
“How many people could afford this? Autoimmune disease is not a respecter of social strata/class, as it affects the rich, so also it affects the poor.”
He urged the government to prioritise rheumatology like malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS.
“Since funding is the main problem denying our patients with autoimmune conditions to receive best medical care, I would suggest that the Government should also look into this field of medicine and accord it the same priority attached to malaria and communicable diseases like tuberculosis and AIDS.
“I would also advocate that the National Health Insurance Scheme should cover medications used in these diseases since it is difficult to pay out of pocket for many patients.”
