News Wings

Tag: primary healthcare services

  • Senate ratifies higher sugar tax, earmarks revenue for healthcare, insurance for vulnerable Nigerians

    Senate ratifies higher sugar tax, earmarks revenue for healthcare, insurance for vulnerable Nigerians

    On Wednesday, the Senate ratified a new excise duty regime for sugar-sweetened beverages, replacing the current N10-per-litre levy with a retail price-based tax system aimed at curbing excessive sugar consumption, combating non-communicable diseases and generating additional funding for healthcare services for vulnerable Nigerians.

    The decision was reached after due consideration and adoption of the report by the Joint Senate Committee on Finance and Customs, Excise and Tariff on the Customs, Excise Tariff, etc. (Amendment) Bill, presented by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa, representing Niger East Senatorial District.

    With this ratification, the current flat-rate excise duty on sugar-sweetened beverages will be replaced by a levy calculated as a percentage of the retail price, with the specific rate to be determined by the Minister of Finance in line with international best practices.

    The Senate also approved provisions directing that a portion of the revenue generated from the levy be dedicated to health promotion initiatives, disease prevention programmes, primary healthcare services and health insurance coverage for poor and vulnerable Nigerians.

    Presenting the committee’s findings, Senator Musa said the existing N10-per-litre excise duty had been severely weakened by inflation and no longer served as an effective deterrent to excessive consumption of sugary drinks.

    “The current excise duty of N10 per litre on sugar-sweetened beverages has been significantly eroded by inflation and is too low to effectively discourage excessive consumption or generate substantial revenue,” the committee stated.

    The Senate noted that Nigeria is facing a growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes, obesity, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, many of which are linked to unhealthy diets and excessive sugar intake.

    According to the committee, NCDs account for a significant share of illness and deaths in the country, placing increasing pressure on the healthcare system and imposing heavy financial burdens on households.

    Lawmakers expressed concern that Nigeria’s healthcare system remains underfunded and largely dependent on out-of-pocket spending, a situation that limits access to essential healthcare services and exposes many citizens to financial hardship.

    The Senate argued that health-related excise taxes could simultaneously advance public health and fiscal objectives by discouraging the consumption of unhealthy products while generating additional government revenue.

    The committee observed that the current volume-based tax structure does not adequately reflect the sugar content of beverages and therefore provides little incentive for manufacturers to reduce sugar levels in their products.

    In November 2025, during the public hearing on the bill, several stakeholders who participated in advocated a retail-price-based levy, arguing that increasing the tax would provide a more sustainable and effective taxation framework than the current flat-rate system.

    Among organisations that made submissions during the hearing were the Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance, Action for Women and Girls Initiative, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, Health Sector Reform Coalition Nigeria, Christian Network for Nation Building, Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, National Health Insurance Authority, Nigeria Immigration Service, Presidential Fiscal and Tax Reform Committee, Nigeria Cancer Society, Diabetes Association of Nigeria and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre.

    The committee cited evidence from countries such as South Africa, Mexico and the United Kingdom, where sugar-sweetened beverage taxes have contributed to reduced consumption and improved health outcomes.

    It also referenced recommendations by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which indicate that health-related taxes should increase retail prices by at least 20 per cent to significantly influence consumer behaviour and encourage healthier choices.

    The Senate further noted that data from the Nigeria Customs Service showed that the existing excise duty on sugar-sweetened beverages generated more than N108.6 billion between 2022 and September 2025, demonstrating the sector’s potential as a sustainable source of revenue.

    “The tax remains a viable source of government revenue and can be better leveraged to support public health priorities,” the committee observed.

    While public health advocates strongly supported tougher taxation measures, some industry stakeholders expressed concerns about the possible impact on production costs, consumer prices and employment levels.

    To address these concerns, lawmakers recommended that the Minister of Finance determine an appropriate percentage levy that balances public health objectives with economic realities and aligns with global standards.

    The Senate further recommended that excise taxation on sugar-sweetened beverages be strengthened as part of a broader national strategy to reduce excessive sugar consumption and prevent non-communicable diseases.

    Other recommendations adopted by the Red Chamber include exploring tax structures that better reflect sugar content or retail price, encouraging manufacturers to reformulate products and reduce sugar levels, strengthening the administration and enforcement of excise duty collection, and maintaining continuous engagement with industry operators and public health institutions during implementation.

    The lawmakers also stressed that health should become a direct beneficiary of excise revenues derived from products associated with health risks.

    According to the report, part of the proceeds from the levy should be channelled towards preventive healthcare programmes, management of non-communicable diseases, expansion of health insurance coverage for vulnerable Nigerians and the strengthening of primary healthcare facilities across the country.

    The Senate further urged government to complement the tax reforms with nutrition awareness campaigns, improved food labelling standards and responsible marketing practices to ensure that fiscal measures are supported by broader public health interventions.

    Lawmakers expressed optimism that the reforms would not only improve public health outcomes but also reduce the long-term economic burden imposed by non-communicable diseases on families and the nation’s healthcare system.

    With the adoption of the report, the Senate has effectively endorsed a significant shift in Nigeria’s excise tax policy, positioning sugar taxation as a key tool for both public health promotion and sustainable healthcare financing.

  • Nigeria accounts for over 1.5 million children with sickle cell disease, highest in the world, new Lancet study shows

    Nigeria accounts for over 1.5 million children with sickle cell disease, highest in the world, new Lancet study shows

    A major new international study published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, one of the world’s leading medical journals, has revealed that Nigeria carries the highest burden of sickle cell disease (SCD) globally, with an estimated over 1.5 million children under the age of 15 living with the condition.

    The study shows that nearly nine million children across sub-Saharan Africa are living with sickle cell disease in 2023, including around 1.17 million infants and 2.75 million children under five, who face the highest risk of early death without treatment.

    Nigeria accounts for the largest share of this burden, far exceeding other high-burden countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ethiopia. The findings highlight both the scale of the challenge in Nigeria and the opportunity for the country to lead Africa in tackling one of the most preventable causes of childhood illness and death.

    The study was led by Professor Davies Adeloye, Professor of Public Health at Teesside University, United Kingdom, and Director of the International Society of Global Health (ISoGH), and analysed data from 40 studies across 22 African countries to produce the most comprehensive country-level estimates of childhood sickle cell disease to date.

    Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder present at birth. With early diagnosis and access to simple, low-cost interventions such as newborn screening, penicillin prophylaxis, routine vaccinations, malaria prevention, and hydroxyurea, most complications and deaths can be prevented.

    However, in Nigeria, access to these essential services remains limited. Many children are only diagnosed after severe and avoidable complications, while others are never diagnosed at all, contributing to high levels of preventable illness and early childhood deaths.

    Professor Adeloye said, “Nigeria now stands at the centre of the global sickle cell crisis. With over 1.5 million children affected, the scale is enormous, but so is the opportunity to act. We already know what works. Newborn screening and early treatment are effective, affordable, and can be delivered through existing health systems. If Nigeria prioritises sickle cell disease within its national health agenda and integrates care into routine maternal and child health services, we could save hundreds of thousands of young lives and significantly reduce avoidable deaths.”

    The researchers emphasise that strengthening Nigeria’s health system response will be critical. This includes expanding newborn screening programmes, improving access to essential medicines, and integrating sickle cell care into primary healthcare services.

    The study calls for urgent and coordinated action across government, health institutions, and development partners, including expanding newborn screening programmes, improving access to essential medicines and vaccines, and embedding sickle cell care within primary healthcare services. It also calls for increased domestic investment, supported by international partnerships, as well as stronger data systems to improve surveillance and guide policy decisions.

    The authors conclude that even modest improvements in early-life screening and treatment in high-burden countries like Nigeria could transform child survival and significantly reduce preventable deaths.

    The full study is published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health and is available at:
    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352464226000489

  • Remedial Health secures $4.4 million in seed funding to provide access to credit for neighbourhood pharmacies in Nigeria

    Remedial Health secures $4.4 million in seed funding to provide access to credit for neighbourhood pharmacies in Nigeria

     Remedial Health, a healthtech startup that develops solutions to make Africa’s pharmaceutical value chain more efficient, has raised $4.4 million in seed funding to accelerate its expansion across Nigeria and to provide access to credit for inventory purchases for its growing customer base of neighbourhood pharmacies, Proprietary Patent Medicine Vendors (PPMVs) and hospitals in the country. 

    The seed funding round was led by Global Ventures – a leading MEA venture capital firm, that re-invested after participating in the previous round. Tencent, Y Combinator, Cathexis Ventures, LightSpeed Venture Partners Scout Fund, Ventures Platform, Alumni Ventures and True Capital Management also participated in the round which included prominent angel investors such as Guillaume Luccisano and Christopher Golda.

    Remedial Health provides a range of solutions, including its digital procurement and PMR (patient medication records) platforms that make it easier for neighbourhood pharmacies, PPMVs and hospitals to access affordable and authentic retail medicines. Healthcare providers can source vetted medications at prices the same, or better, than open-air medicine market prices – with 24 hour delivery to their practice via Remedial Health’s logistics network. In addition to procurement, pharmacies and PPMVs can access credit to fund inventory purchases and provide loans and salary advances for employees.

    Since January 2022, Remedial Health has seen 600 percent increase in sales volumes and the company now covers 16 of Nigeria’s 36 states. This new funding will support the rollout of its services across the rest of Nigeria, and also lay the groundwork for expansion across Africa in 2023.

    The impact of various global events from the last three years – from the COVID-19 pandemic to rising inflation – has led to a sharp increase in the price of medicines in Nigeria. For neighbourhood pharmacies and Proprietary Patent Medicine Vendors (PPMVs) that represent the main source of medicines for the majority of Nigerians, these price increases mean there is added pressure to balance the need to provide lifesaving medicines to their communities and the need to run their businesses effectively. There is also the challenge of an opaque supply chain where manufacturers have limited or delayed visibility into what is happening on the frontlines, which means pharmacies and PPMVs are often left to make do with what they can get, rather than what they need. 

    By leveraging Remedial Health’s tech-enabled platform, neighbourhood pharmacies, PPMVs and hospitals can benefit from group/bulk buying discounts, time-saving and improved efficiency, access to credit to improve their earnings, as well as additional revenue from providing financial services and other primary healthcare services. Manufacturers also benefit from an efficient supply chain, a clear and instant route-to-market for their products and real-time intelligence on product utilization to improve decision-making on forecasting, production and distribution.

    According to Samuel Okwuada, CEO and co-founder of Remedial Health, “Neighbourhood pharmacies and PPMVs have the potential to be the face of a thriving healthcare system in Africa, and we believe that technology can play a significant role in making this vision a reality. The funds that we have raised and the strategic support from our investors will enable us to deliver the solutions to address various challenges that have hampered these businesses’ growth for many years, and make it easier to safeguard lives and livelihoods across the continent for years to come”

    Sacha Haider, Principal at Global Ventures, said, “The market opportunity to serve community pharmacies across Africa is significant; in Nigeria alone, 500,000 community pharmacies drive over 80% of a 70 billion dollar market in annual pharmaceutical sales. The team at Remedial Health is proactively addressing challenges including price opacity, poor drug quality control and a very fragmented supply chain, head on to create a tech-enabled, pharmacy-centered healthcare network that has allowed over 25% in cost reductions at the point of care. We are excited to partner with Sam on his mission to improve access to quality and affordable healthcare in Africa through optimized pharmaceutical supply chains”.