The Kaduna State Contributory Health Management Authority has engaged the Chairmen of the 23 Local Government Areas in the state to find sustainable and innovative ways to finance healthcare.
The Director-General of KADCHMA, Malam Abubakar Hassan, during the opening ceremony of a two-day meeting held in Abuja on Friday, said the move was part of strategies to attain Universal Health Coverage.
The News Agency of Nigerian reports that the meeting was supported by Save the Children International, Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn and the Lafiya programme.
Hassan said the measure was to leverage the health financing structure in Kaduna State and to look at the journey in the last three years and find ways to address all impediments.
He explained that the engagement was part of the sustained agenda of Gov. Uba Sani-led administration, which prioritised health insurance as a strategy to reduce out-of-pocket expenditure on health services.
Hassan said the council chairmen were engaged to become champions and ambassadors of health insurance, with a view to mobilising resources at the local level to support state government efforts.
He pointed out that a larger percentage of the population is being plunged into poverty because of healthcare expenditure, adding, “Most households fall into poverty whenever one of them falls sick.
“We have done well in the coverage of the formal sector into the scheme in the last three years, which currently stands at more than 98 per cent.
“We have also done a little bit of coverage of the informal sector, which is abysmally small, standing at less than 3 per cent of the over 80 per cent of the population of the state,” he added.
Hassan blamed the low coverage of the informal sector on a lack of awareness, poverty, religion, and culture.
He said the state government has allocated 1 per cent of its consolidated revenue to provide free health care services to the poor and vulnerable groups.
Earlier, the Director, of Advocacy, Communications, Campaigns and Media, SCI Mr Amanuel Momo, said the organisation was working with stakeholders and duty bearers to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of children.
He said that the SCI has supported the government to develop a healthcare financing strategy and implementation plan towards attaining UHC.
“This will not be achieved without the collective support of partners and stakeholders, particularly the collective support of the 23 local government chairmen.
“One of our expectations from this meeting is a political commitment towards the elimination of the catastrophic out-of-pocket expenditure, which is about 84 per cent in the state.
“We also want a commitment to addressing maternal health challenges at primary health care centres, through improved and efficient financing to increase enrolment into the health insurance scheme,” he said.
Also, the State Lead facilitator, PERL, Mr. Adejor Abel, said it had been working with other partners to ensure a citizens’ responsive governance in the state.
Abel added that PERL was achieving this through support in the development of critical policies and strategies and strengthening citizens’ engagement in the government process.
Programme Manager of Clinton Health Access Initiative, Dr. Sani Abubakar, described UHC as a global priority, which seeks to increase access to quality health care by all populations while reducing their financial burden.
He said that CHAI was working closely with the state Ministry of Health and KADCHMA to strengthen the health insurance intervention in the state.
He reiterated the organisation’s continued support to ensure that KADCHMA increases health insurance coverage in the state.
Similarly, the Local Government Facilitator, Lafiya programme, Mr. Abubakar Yerima, , equally gave an assurance that the state government will continue to support and improve on the health indices of the state. (NAN)
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