The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Imo State Health Insurance Agency (IMSHIA), Professor Uchenna Ewelike, has been appointed as a Visiting Professor at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
The appointment recognizes his outstanding contributions to academia, health financing, and transformative public service. An Imo State born Senior Public Health Physician and globally renowned Health Economist, Professor Ewelike was appointed as the Executive Secretary of the Imo State Health Insurance Agency in December 2022 by His Excellency, Distinguished Senator (Dr.) Hope Uzodimma, Governor of Imo State.
Before his appointment, he served as a Deputy Director at the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), where he also acted as Technical Adviser to CEO, NHIA.
He was equally a Senior Visiting Lecturer (pro bono) at Imo State University, Owerri, reflecting his longstanding commitment to academic development and mentorship.
Professor Ewelike holds degrees in Medicine and Surgery (University of Calabar), Master of Public Health and Master of International Affairs and Diplomacy (Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria), MBA (National Open University of Nigeria), and a Ph.D. in Health Economics (University of Nigeria, Nsukka). He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health (UK), a WHO-certified Advanced Health Financing Expert, and author of Nigeria’s first indigenous health Financing Book, Basics of Health Financing in a Developing Economy.
Under his leadership as the Executive Secretary/CEO of the Imo State Health Insurance Agency, the Agency has recorded significant milestones, including but not limited to maternal care for over 20,000 pregnant women with documented reductions in maternal mortality, births of over 3,000 babies, enrollment and coverage of poor and vulnerable groups in Imo state, establishment of a real-time electronic claims and data analytics system, training of 305 frontline PHC officers in life-saving skills, and the successful enrollment of civil servants and pensioners into the Imo State Health Insurance Scheme.
He designed the ImoCare Health Insurance Programme, currently driving the enrollment of 2.7 million residents, one of the largest sub-national coverage efforts in Sub-Saharan Africa, alongside innovative reforms such as the i-DRG provider payment system and a justiciable service level agreement for quality assurance. The agency recently won the Best Health Insurance in Nigeria 2025 (Provider Network Category) and the Excellence in Public Service 2025 Award.
His appointment as Visiting Professor further affirms his influence in shaping research, policy, and the next generation of health and public sector leaders, as he continues his mission to ensure no woman dies while giving birth in Imo State and putting an end to health poverty through the expansion of equitable access to care for all in Imo State.
