HEALTH EXPERT URGES GOVERNMENT TO COVER EPILEPSY DRUGS UNDER NHIS

A Community Health Expert, Mrs. Olu-Adebayo, has called on the Federal and State Governments to pay more strategic attention to epilepsy patients by including their drugs and treatment in national and state health insurance schemes.

Olu-Adebayo made this call during a media interview with RootedScope Media, where she highlighted the growing burden of epilepsy in Nigeria, the huge treatment gap, and the dire consequences of neglecting patients who depend on uninterrupted access to anti-seizure medications.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 50 million people worldwide live with epilepsy, with nearly 80 per cent residing in low- and middle-income countries, including Nigeria. WHO also notes that with proper access to anti-seizure medications, up to 70 per cent of people with epilepsy can live seizure-free.

In Nigeria, studies estimate a prevalence rate of 8 per 1,000 persons, meaning hundreds of thousands of Nigerians currently live with epilepsy. However, most of them face serious barriers to diagnosis, follow-up care, and affordable medications. For many patients, monthly drug costs range between ₦5,000 and ₦15,000—an amount out of reach for low-income families who often rely on daily income.

Olu-Adebayo noted that many patients are forced to discontinue their medications, depend on irregular donations, or resort to traditional healers, exposing themselves to severe complications, injuries, or death.

Across different states in Nigeria, epilepsy patients continue to face stigma, financial hardship, and health system neglect. Reports from communities reveal how students are forced to drop out of school due to recurrent seizures and lack of access to care. Some families sell personal belongings to pay for drugs, while others travel long distances to find health facilities that stock anti-seizure medicines—often at high prices.

Public health facilities in both rural and urban areas frequently experience stock-outs of essential drugs such as phenobarbital, carbamazepine, and sodium valproate. This forces patients to rely on private pharmacies, where prices are often unaffordable. In many cases, patients go months without their medications, increasing the risk of uncontrolled seizures, injuries, and sometimes sudden death.

Mrs. Olu-Adebayo stressed that current health insurance coverage in Nigeria does not sufficiently address the needs of people with epilepsy. While the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and some state health insurance agencies cover a range of conditions, epilepsy patients are largely excluded from essential drug coverage, leaving families to bear the financial burden alone.

She called on the Honourable Minister of Health and State Commissioners for Health to demonstrate strong political will by taking the following strategic measures:

1. Include epilepsy drugs and routine epilepsy care in NHIA and state insurance benefit packages to ensure free or subsidized access for patients.
2. Strengthen procurement and supply chains to guarantee steady availability of anti-seizure medications in public health facilities.
3. Integrate epilepsy management into Primary Health Care (PHC) services for early diagnosis, initiation of treatment, and timely referrals.
4. Provide targeted subsidies or exemptions for indigent patients who cannot afford insurance premiums or co-payments.
5. Develop a National Epilepsy Strategy with measurable targets for treatment coverage, medicine availability, and public awareness.
6. Launch nationwide Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) campaigns to address stigma, myths, and misinformation around epilepsy.

“Epilepsy is not a death sentence. With inclusion in health insurance schemes, thousands of Nigerians living with epilepsy can live normal, productive lives,” Olu-Adebayo said.

“We need the Federal and State Governments to act decisively. Epilepsy patients should not continue to battle stigma, neglect, and financial hardship in silence.”

Non-governmental organizations such as the Soladeff Epilepsy Foundation have been at the forefront of community sensitization, caregiver training, and advocacy. They also provide limited drug support to vulnerable patients. However, Olu-Adebayo emphasized that NGO interventions cannot replace structured government support.

The World Health Organization’s 2019 report, Epilepsy: A Public Health Imperative, urged governments to integrate epilepsy care into universal health coverage, strengthen health systems, and ensure uninterrupted access to affordable medications.

Olu-Adebayo stressed that tackling epilepsy in Nigeria requires deliberate political leadership at both federal and state levels. She urged the Federal Ministry of Health and State Ministries of Health to prioritize budget allocations for epilepsy care, strengthen partnerships with NGOs, and remove policy barriers that keep epilepsy patients on the margins of healthcare coverage.

“This is not just a medical issue; it is a matter of social justice and equity. Every seizure prevented is a life protected. Every month of guaranteed medication is hope renewed for families,” she added.

Epilepsy is common, treatable, and manageable, but neglect has allowed avoidable suffering to persist. Including epilepsy care and medications in health insurance schemes, ensuring a reliable drug supply, and strengthening community-level health services will improve the quality of life for thousands of Nigerians living with epilepsy.

The time to act is now. Epilepsy patients must no longer be invisible in Nigeria’s health policy landscape.