Bridging the Information Gap to Keep Educators Healthy

Health Insurance Awareness and Actions by Private School Employees in Nigeria

Abstract

A nation relies on its educators to provide skills for upcoming learners and workers. To do this, they need to have good health security in their qualified position and the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) should effectively support this. Researchers have carried out studies on NHIS in Nigeria but none have considered private school employees who are thought leaders and a significant category of the beneficiary population in the health insurance system. This research in Felele, Oluyole, and Bodija included six hundred questionnaires in sixty private schools in three selected localities alongside focused group discussions (FGDs) in six schools to elicit private school workers’ perception of the Nigerian NHIS scheme. Theoretically anchored in Health Belief Model (HBM) and Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), this study assessed the awareness, perception and enrolment levels of private school workers towards NHIS to bridge the information gap and improve their contributions and health of targeted workers. Results revealed a high level of awareness (81.7%) but a very low enrolment level (7.8%) of private school workers in the NHIS. As well, it was found that the lack of NHIS law enforcement, poverty, inequality, unfavourable registration process and lack of interest hinder enrolment. Based on this data; the authors claim it is important to raise awareness, perception and enrolment levels of private school employees. The conclusion reached is that, relevant authorities in Nigeria need to develop a workable system of combating healthcare issues in the country by considering targeted subsidies, involving potential beneficiaries in reviewing the NHIS’s policies and re-strategizing information flow or dissemination on the programme as well as removing obstacles that are preventing potential enrolees from registering.