NHIMA’s Deficits and the Path to Sustainable Healthcare in Zambia
The National Health Insurance Management Authority (NHIMA) is proving to be a critical tool in addressing Zambia’s healthcare challenges. Despite its significance, NHIMA is running on severe deficits, raising approximately K100 million monthly while spending about K160 million.
This shortfall presents a serious concern, as NHIMA plays a pivotal role in supporting Zambians who, due to economic conditions, struggle with medical bills, especially with limited public healthcare services.
Economic expert Mr. Kelvin Chisanga stresses that NHIMA’s future sustainability must be guaranteed without overly relying on the national treasury. To ensure the long-term success of NHIMA’s health insurance scheme, it is essential to explore new ways of funding and operational strategies.
“NHIMA’s role in reducing health burdens and socio-economic disparities is invaluable, but we must focus on creating sustainable models,” Chisanga notes.
He proposes the introduction of primary healthcare programs to prevent diseases and reduce the growing financial strain of treating non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which are currently consuming significant financial resources.
