HEI, Healthcare Federation of Nigeria sign MoU for medical trust fund

The Health Emergency Initiative (HEI) and the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish the Medical Intervention Trust Fund (MITF), marking a significant milestone in the Healthcare sector in Nigeria

The Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN) serves as the umbrella body for all health stakeholders in the country, encompassing the public, private, and social sectors. Its membership includes the ministers of health, all 36 state commissioners for health, and other key players across the healthcare ecosystem.

The newly formed Medical Intervention Trust Fund is designed to address critical gaps in Nigeria’s emergency healthcare system, particularly in areas such as: inadequate post-crash emergency response, high rates of infant and maternal mortality, limited insurance coverage, inability of patients to afford urgent medical treatment.

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Speaking on the significance of the initiative, Njide Ndili, HFN president, emphasised the urgent need for financial mechanisms to support timely emergency care.

“Too many lives are lost every day due to delays in treatment and the inability to pay for emergency care. The medical intervention trust fund is a game changer because it creates a credible, transparent, and sustainable mechanism to finance emergency interventions when and where they are needed most,” she said.

“By bringing together the private sector, civil society, development partners, and government stakeholders, every Nigerian—regardless of socioeconomic status—can have the opportunity to receive timely and quality emergency care.”

Paschal Achunine, executive director, HEI, lauded the urgency of the initiative, highlighting the MITF’s potential to scale proven life-saving interventions.

“Many Nigerians lose their lives not due to a lack of treatment, but because of delays in accessing emergency care. The MITF will build on a tested model of rapid financial intervention—one that has already saved thousands of lives—and will now be expanded to reach even more people in need.”

Achunine also underscored the fund’s broader impact beyond financial aid:

“We will train bystanders, first responders, and community members in basic life support, first aid, and trauma care. By empowering ordinary citizens alongside medical professionals, the MITF will create a nationwide safety net that makes emergency care faster, more effective, and more inclusive.”

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The MITF is expected to complement the existing basic healthcare provision fund, which currently allocates five percent for emergencies but has faced persistent delays in disbursement. Unlike existing mechanisms, the MITF will focus on speed, transparency, and scalability.

Key components of the initiative will include: Supporting hospital infrastructure, integrating technology into emergency response systems, and advocating for a ‘Good Samaritan’ law to protect individuals who assist accident victims.

Both organisations confirmed that the trust fund will become operational within the next six months. They also issued a collective call to action, urging stakeholders across the healthcare spectrum to support the initiative.

“No Nigerian should be denied emergency care due to financial constraints or systemic delays,” the leaders affirmed.

This MOU represents a bold step toward building a more resilient, inclusive, and responsive emergency healthcare system for all Nigerians.