For many people, the idea of patient safety begins in the hospital: the right diagnosis, the right medicine, the right procedure and care delivered without avoidable harm.
But for people living with non-communicable diseases, safety extends far beyond a single hospital visit.
Diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions often require repeated consultations, investigations, medicines, monitoring and, in some cases, surgery or other specialised treatment. The longer a person interacts with the health system, the more opportunities there are for things to go wrong, from delayed diagnosis and medication errors to interruptions in treatment and gaps in follow-up care.
This is why the World Health Organization has chosen “Safe care for noncommunicable diseases” as the theme for World Patient Safety Day 2026, observed on 17 September, with the slogan “Safe care for life!” WHO is drawing attention to the particular patient-safety risks associated with conditions that require long-term care and repeated interaction with health services.
For Nigeria, the issue is particularly relevant. The latest WHO country profile estimates that non-communicable diseases accounted for 27.7 per cent of deaths in Nigeria in 2021, while diabetes is an increasingly important part of the country’s chronic disease burden. The International Diabetes Federation estimates that about three million adults aged 20–79 were living with diabetes in Nigeria in 2024.
The numbers matter, but the experience behind them matters more.
A person living with diabetes does not simply need to know that diabetes is covered by a health insurance programme. The real question is what that coverage means when the person needs to test, consult, obtain medicines, monitor the condition or manage complications over time.
That is where health insurance becomes part of the patient-safety conversation.
When people have reliable financial access to care, they are better positioned to seek care when they need it rather than delay because of cost. When the system provides access to appropriate services and medicines, continuity of care becomes more achievable. When patients can navigate the system, understand their treatment and participate in decisions about their care, the possibility of avoidable harm is reduced.
The NHIA’s role is therefore not simply to increase the number of people enrolled in health insurance. As the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr Kelechi Ohiri, has put it, the ultimate test is whether coverage translates into access to appropriate care, financial protection and a better healthcare experience.
This is particularly important for chronic diseases because the financial burden can accumulate over time.
Nigeria’s health insurance system provides a mechanism for sharing that burden. The NHIA benefit and payment structure includes services relevant to the diagnosis and management of chronic conditions, while the Authority’s current professional fee schedule includes services such as insulin testing and diagnostic investigations. Its benefit structure also accommodates cancer-related investigations and treatment services, including mammography, CT and MRI scans, bone scans and radiotherapy.
Cancer illustrates the point even more sharply.
A cancer diagnosis can transform a family’s financial circumstances because treatment may involve investigations, surgery, medicines, radiotherapy and continuing care. For insured patients, the value of coverage is therefore not merely that a particular service appears on a list. Its value lies in reducing the financial shock that can accompany serious illness and helping patients remain connected to appropriate care.
The NHIA has expanded its partnership with Roche under a cost-sharing arrangement for selected oncology medicines, with Roche covering 50 per cent of the cost, NHIA 30 per cent and the patient 20 per cent. The Authority has also introduced support ranging from up to ₦400,000 to full coverage for eligible radiotherapy patients. These interventions complement cancer services already accommodated within the NHIA benefit and payment structure.
The significance goes beyond the individual intervention. It demonstrates how insurance can be used to make treatment for high-cost diseases more financially manageable and how partnerships can extend the reach of available resources.
“For us, coverage has to mean something when people become ill. Cancer is one of the clearest examples of why health insurance matters. When treatment is expensive and may continue over time, the question is not simply whether the service is covered, but whether the financial burden on the patient and the family is manageable,” Dr Ohiri said.
The same principle applies to diabetes.
For a person living with diabetes, safe care is not an occasional event. It is a continuing relationship with the health system. Early detection, appropriate treatment, medication access, monitoring and follow-up all matter. WHO’s 2026 patient-safety campaign emphasises that safety risks can arise at every stage, from prevention and diagnosis to treatment, long-term management and self-care. It also calls for people living with NCDs to be active partners in their own care.
Health insurance cannot, by itself, guarantee every aspect of safe care. It does, however, address one of the barriers that can undermine continuity: the ability to pay.
This is why the expansion of health insurance coverage matters. NHIA enrolment has now surpassed 23 million, up from approximately 16 million at the beginning of the Administration. More than 2.7 million poor and vulnerable Nigerians have also received support through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund.
The Authority has simultaneously strengthened patient protection, resolving 3,878 complaints and refunding more than ₦14.2 million to affected enrollees. It has also strengthened provider payments, with a 93 per cent increase in capitation and a 378 per cent increase in fee-for-service reimbursements, while more than 7,500 healthcare facilities have undergone digital assessment under the SafeCare quality framework.
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These reforms point to a broader understanding of patient safety: safe care is not only about what happens inside a consultation room. It also depends on whether patients can enter the system, obtain appropriate care, continue treatment, understand their rights and avoid financial hardship because they became ill.
World Patient Safety Day 2026 provides an opportunity to make that connection clear.
For Nigerians living with diabetes, cancer and other non-communicable diseases, health insurance is not an abstract policy concept. It can determine whether care is delayed, whether treatment can be continued and whether a serious illness becomes a medical crisis compounded by financial distress.
“Safe care for life” therefore has another important dimension: people need a health system that can remain with them for as long as their condition requires care.
That is the promise of health insurance at its best — not simply an insurance record, but sustained access to appropriate care, protection from the financial consequences of illness and a better experience for the patient.
