By Amaka Obiefuna

The Memoradum of Understanding (MoU) signed by Nigerian Leadway Health and South African’s Vitality Health International has been adjudged to be a unique application of technology to provide rewarding health experience to customers.

This is coming at a time when individuals, organisations and countries seek avenues for improved health.

By the MoU eadway Health, a subsidiary of Leadway Holdings and sister company of Leadway Assurance company limited, is Vitality Health International’s in-country insurance partner to offer quality of lives to Nigerians.

Vitality Health uses experience gleaned from its leading presence in West Africa with over 50 years of insurance experience in Nigeria, which customers have come to know and trust.

Leadway helps to provide deep in-market intelligence so Vitality Health International can provide the Health Insurance and wellness offering which the Nigerian population needs.

By using quality health insurance offerings and technology, Leadway Health said it aims to achieve universal and quality health coverall for all Nigerians.

The two companies have declared that they are committed to improving the quality of lives of the African people – making the partnership mutually beneficial for both entities.

CEO of Leadway Health, Dr. Tokunbo Alli, said: “With our unique use of technology to provide ground-breaking health insurance, we are able to provide our customers with a better, smarter and more rewarding experience.

“Through this partnership with Vitality Health International, we want to play an important role in the efforts towards universal health care (UHC) in Nigeria.

“Our goal is to help improve the provision of care and the quality of life for Vitality Health International members and their families, in order to accelerate the achievement of our collective vision.”

Vitality is a globally recognised programme which rewards people for engaging in healthy behaviours.

Members are encouraged to ‘know their health’, take steps to improve their health and get rewarded for meeting their goals.

Discovery’s Shared-value model is centred on Vitality, a science-based behaviour-change programme that has been proven through independent research to positively impact health outcomes.

The Vitality programme is embedded in the Vitality Health International health insurance model.

This dynamic behaviour-change programme combines data analytics with rewards and incentives to encourage people to make healthier choices.

The Shared-value approach enables employees, employers and Vitality Health International to share in the value and benefits of healthy behaviour by lowering healthcare costs for employers and employees, while decreasing the claims risks for Vitality Health International.

Employers are rewarded with a cashback of up to 10 per cent for encouraging their employees to get healthy and the Vitality Health Fund that can be unlocked when members complete their Vitality Health Review extends the employees’ outpatient benefits by up to $100, based on completion of Vitality health assessments and positive engagement with the Vitality programme.

CEO of Vitality Health International, Emma Knox, said: “Vitality Health International has a core purpose running through everything we do: to make people healthier and to enhance and protect their lives.

“The foundation of the Vitality Shared-value model is to reward people for healthier behaviours, which also improves their physical and mental well-being, while improving productivity and decreasing the employer’s insurance or ‘health risk’.

“Through this model Vitality Health International is contributing towards a healthier society by making businesses and their employees healthier.”

All members of Vitality Health Insurance are offered an on-site wellness experience, fully funded by the health insurance product.

Vitality Health Checks, conducted by experienced and healthcare wellness specialists, are an essential aspect of the Vitality programme enabling an individual to better understand their health and how to improve it. risks.

Knox disclosed: “As a data-driven organisation, Discovery tracks data worldwide, and in South Africa, a recent study shows that that very engaged members on Vitality who have achieved Diamond and Gold status on the rewards programme, are estimated to have reduced mortality risk as a result of healthier lifestyles, increasing their life expectancy to 87 years’ old, compared to 67 for the insured population in South Africa.”

“After each wellness day, comprehensive reports with metrics and unique insights are shared with employers (data anonymised) to help them improve health outcomes for their employees.

“The wellness days that we have conducted in other African markets have been extremely impactful in helping employees understand their health.”

To honour World Malaria Day on 25 April this year, Vitality Health International, announced a partnership with social benefit organisation, Goodbye Malaria, to reduce the high incidence of malaria, a disease that is still taking an unrelenting toll on human health in Africa.

According to the WHO 2022 Malaria Fact Sheet , malaria is the second biggest cause of death in Nigeria, with 31 per cent of all malaria deaths worldwide occurring in Nigeria.

“Vitality Health International’s health insurance offering is aimed at positively impacting people’s health outcomes while improving and protecting their lives.

“By partnering with Goodbye Malaria, we are taking a significant step towards achieving this goal.

“We believe that by working together, we can reduce the negative impact of malaria and save many lives on the continent.

“Malaria remains the most prevalent disease in Africa with a major impact on the lives and livelihoods of the most vulnerable with $12 billion lost in productivity every year,” he explained.

“Added to the high levels of inactivity in Nigeria, World Health Organisation estimates that one in every four Nigerians has mental illness,” Knox pointed out.

According to him with the recognition of the challenges in mental health in Nigeria, Vitality has proactively developed a Healthy Mind initiative that encourages its members to know their mental health status, improve their mental health and get rewarded for it.

Commenting on these concerning healthcare issues during the presentations in Lagos, Nigeria, Knox said: “We are bringing a completely new type of health insurance to the rest of Africa. One that focuses on mental and physical wellness.

“Our offering has been specifically developed for the African market. It is an innovative, digitally enabled solution that promotes preventive screening and offers incentivised healthy behaviours through our exciting new cross-continental rewards partners.

“All three emerging trends offer a unique opportunity for Vitality Health International to make a significant impact in Nigeria.”