Available online Apr 30, 2026.

[ Original ] Volume 32, Issue 2, 2026, Pages 297-303

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Abstract

The study examined the economic effects of National Health Insurance Authority on infant mortality rate in Cross River State, Nigeria. The study adopted the survey design for analysis due to the type of data used. The population of the study consisted of employees and management staff of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, University of Calabar, Calabar and the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital who are actively involved in NHIA scheme. The sampling technique adopted in the study is the simple random sampling technique while the sample size is made up of two-hundred and eighty-six (286) respondents chosen from the study population. The data were collected from employees and management staff of the hospitals through structured questionnaire while the probit regression was employed for the analysis. Findings from the probit regression revealed that National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) does not contribute significantly towards reduction in infant mortality rate. The study recommended that government needs to review the National Health Insurance Scheme to include the poor if it expects health outcome of the people such as infant mortality rate to improve, the government should also incorporate the informal sector of the economy in the National Health Insurance Scheme so as to enhance a wider coverage thereby assisting to improve health outcomes in the country. Furthermore, any policy to invigorate the public confidence in NHIS as well as increase enrolment, should be targeted at the young, poor, less educated, males, and rural dwellers.

Keywords

National Health Insurance Scheme, Health Outcome, Healthcare, Public servant JEL Classification: I13, I12, I11, J48,

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