Tuesday, 11 August 2015

Profile of HEALTH FINANCING AND SOCIAL HEALTH INSURANCE CONSULTANT, Nigeria (Dr. Uzodinma Adirieje)


I have been involved in Nigeria’s Health Insurance Schemes and systems since 2006 when I participated in the certificate course/training in Health Insurance and Health Systems Strengthening in Sao Paulo Brazil, while understudying Brazil’s health insurance system hands on, along with other Nigerian stakeholders including members of the National Assembly, Representatives of Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), Board and management of the NHIS, Change Agents, representatives of Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), NHIS Providers, Consumers, Civil Society and media. This training was used to review and streamline the Nigeria Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) with substantial reference to the published report of the Brazil training which I wrote while I was the Programmes Manager at Health Reform Foundation of Nigeria (HERFON). I participated actively and benefited well from the NHIS-organized activities and workshop for stakeholders prior to the role-out of its community-based health insurance scheme [CBHIS]. I served briefly as NHIS consultant on clinic audit for the scheme. 

I am at home with surveys in research and evidence-generation, and have received the following additional monitoring and evaluation (M&E)/evidence-generation related trainings from the USAID/Measure Evaluation/MSH: Optimizing your M&E team's performance: Improving internal communication and dealing with conflict; Overcoming the challenge of building and leading effective M&E teams for public sector, NGO and civil society organizations; The Virtual Leadership Development Programme (a Diploma course); Country Ownership & Organizational Capacity Building; and Creating an Enabling Environment for M&E Community of Practice [CoP]. I have also received training in Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Data Management; use and application of QuickBooks software; and Peer Participatory Rapid Health Assessment for Action (PPRHAA).

I am an M&E consultant, resource person/facilitator and trainer/capacity-builder, professional manager, health and community systems strengthening consultant, primary care practitioner, researcher/reviewer, programs/projects manager, negotiator/advocate, community leader, volunteer, blogger and author/writer/columnist. My areas of focus are sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) including HIV and AIDS, Primary Health Care (PHC), Vaccines/Immunizations, Energy/Environment, Nutrition/Food Security, and Good Governance/Human Rights. I have more than 10 years’ experience implementing large-scale and complex monitoring and evaluations, and surveys to collect individual, household, community and facility level data. I was a Trainer/Resource Person and Supervisor for training of 125 persons from the 36 States and FCT on M&E, and supervised the M&E of the Home-Based Care component of the Global Fund Round 9 in the 36 States and FCT under the Civil Society for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria [CiSHAN] during 2010-2011.

I was a consultant to Federal Ministry of Health and Unicef, Nigeria, for the Joint Annual Review [JAR] for the Evaluation of Nigeria’s National Strategic Health Sector Development Plan [SHDP] in Akwa Ibom State in 2012. Since 2012, I have served as Technical Consultant to the Country Coordination Mechanism [CCM] on oversight visitations to Global Fund’s Health Systems Strengthening, HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria projects and sites in Kebbi, Akwa Ibom, Anambra and Rivers States. I was the GAVI consultant that provided monthly routine immunization (RI) monitoring and supportive supervision and capacity building in 250 (two hundred and fifty) health centres in Imo State during 2012-2014. I was also the consultant of World Bank and NACA that developed Imo State Multi-sectoral HIV & AIDS Monitoring and Evaluation Plan in 2012; and served as the sole consultant for the ‘Development of the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria Comprehensive Manual of Procedures’ for Nigeria, 2012. In 2014, I undertook data quality self-assessment (DQS) of routine immunization in Njaba and Owerri West LGAs of Imo State on behalf of the National Primary Health Care Development Agencies (NPHCDA).

I possess strong capacity and experience in planning and organizing surveys, field work/logistics in Nigeria; and have good network of experienced enumerators, supervisors, and data entry clerks and ability to mobilize and retain them all over Nigeria. I have proven experience with data quality assurance mechanisms (field work management, data entry programming, etc.) on Global Fund grants/projects; and have presided over the procurement of necessary equipment, including laptops under the Global Fund grant/projects. I am familiar and experienced with both field and central-based data entry methods as may be desired. I am very fluent in written and spoken English and Igbo languages, with fair understanding speaking of Hausa and Yoruba also. I am very much at home with the health sector in Nigeria having worked with three ministers of health and several commissioners for health in Nigeria in the last 10 (ten) years. I have more than 15 (fifteen) years’ experience leading/managing large-scale and complex surveys to collect individual, household, and/or provider/firm-level data. I serve as a consultant to the Federal Ministry of Health and National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) among other notable institutions in the country with demonstrated capacity and experience in leading/managing survey field work and logistics.

Previously, I was the programme manager for advocacy and communications at the DFID-funded Health Reform Foundation of Nigeria (HERFON), as well as the Head of Management/Administrative Secretary and Programmes Coordinator of CiSHAN. I have demonstrated/proven leadership ability and effective communication competences by regularly facilitating communication between different stakeholders, government, non-government, and academic institutions, and leading and motivating teams of enumerators, data entry staff, etc. I have a persistent knack for details and have also worked with/for both private and public sectors of the Nigerian health and development sectors.
 
A widely-travelled person, I am a World Bank-trained Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) advocate and Health Economist, with involvement in monitoring and evaluation (M&E) as an implementer, supervisor and trainer since 2010. I also hold a doctoral degree in Optometry from the College of Medicines and Health Sciences of Imo (now Abia) State University in 1988. I am currently a freelance consultant on health systems strengthening with M&E evidence-generation, capacity building and trainings, as my core competences. I am Fellow of the Academy for Capacity Building (FACB) and member of several professional bodies including the Nigeria Institute of Management (NIM) and Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM).

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