At least 949,132 enrolees of the Kaduna State Contributory Health Management scheme accessed the insurance scheme between 2020 and first quarter of 2023.

Mr Suleiman Mustapha, Head of Administration and Finance, Kaduna State Contributory Health Management Authority (KADCHMA) stated this on Saturday in Abuja.

He spoke at a two-day workshop for chairmen of the 23 local government councils of the state.

He said that of the 949,132 enrolees, 68,013 accessed health services under the scheme in 2020; 379,450 in 202, while 404,835 accessed the services in 2022.

In the first quarter of 2023, a total of 96,834 enrolees accessed the scheme, he added.

Mustapha said also that currently, 514,982 people, representing 5 per cent of the state’s population had enrolled in the scheme.

He explained that 343,948 of the enrolees were from the formal sector of the economy, while only 173,134 enrolled from the informal sector.

Giving further details, he said 9,192 of those who enrolled from the informal sector were private individuals and households, while 79,329 were vulnerable groups enrolled under the state’s 1 per cent consolidated revenue.

Mustapha added that 6,851 persons were enrolled under the Secondary School Health Insurance Programme, 27,114 under the Tertiary Students Health Insurance Programme and 50,648 under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).

“Those registered under the BHCPF comprise 7,490 pregnant women, 10,463 aged (65 years and above), 3,273 children under five years, 21,995 poorest of the poor households and 7,427 persons with disabilities,” he said.

Mustapha explained that Kaduna State established the Contributory Health Scheme in February 2018 as a strategy to achieve universal health coverage by providing accessible, high-quality, inclusive, and affordable healthcare services to all.

He said that the beginning of access to healthcare services under the scheme in June 2020 represented a shift from the catastrophic health expenses and high out-of-pocket expenditure incurred by the infirm.

The scheme, he said, presented a more efficient, sustainable, and comprehensive approach to health financing, that allowed for contributory pre-payment mechanisms.

According to him, health insurance is the most sustainable mechanism to achieve universal health coverage in the state.

“For Kaduna State to attain universal health coverage through the provision of access to basic, quality, and affordable healthcare services, there is a need to invest in strengthening healthcare systems.

“This implies mobilising funds from various sources and strategically deploying these funds for maximum benefit in a sustainable way.

“We must also ensure that our people access the needed healthcare services whenever they require it, and that funds are available to provide those health services,” he said.

In his remarks, Mr Shuaibu Jaja, Chairman, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Kaduna State Chapter, commended KADCHMA and its partners for efforts to increase funding of healthcare centres.

He described the workshop as very enlightening and pledged stronger collaboration with KADCHMA to increase enrolment from the informal sector into the scheme.

He also said that the workshop provided an opportunity for stakeholders to brainstorm and evolve a strategic plan on how to strengthen healthcare systems, particularly the primary healthcare centres.

“At the local government level, we have a duty to collaborate and work closely with KADCHMA to ensure the attainment of the goal of the health insurance scheme in Kaduna State.

“On the problem of enrolment, council chairmen will collaborate with the KADCHMA to ensure that local government workers are enrolled in public facilities as against private facilities.

“This will provide the needed funding to improve the quality of healthcare in public health facilities,” Jaja stressed.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop was organised to find sustainable and innovative funding solutions to healthcare services in Kaduna State.

It was organised by KADCHMA with support from development partners like Save the Children International, Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn and Lafiya programme.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria