Why FG Makes Health Insurance Scheme Compulsory For Citizens -KECHEMA's Ex Sec

The new National Health Insurance Act NHIA 2022 approved by President Muhammadu Buhari has made it mandatory that every citizen of the country must be enrolled in the Health Insurance Scheme, the Executive Secretary of KECHEMA Dr. Jafar Muhammad Augie has said.

He made the disclosure at a two-day Media engagement workshop organized by KECHEMA in Birnin Kebbi with support from USAID IHP.  Dr. Jafar explained that with the new development, States were also mandated to set up their own Social Health Insurance Schemes in line with the new Act and to achieve UHC.

He said KECHEMA's target was to enroll two million, five hundred thousand (2.5million) people into Kebbi Contributory Health Scheme Agency in the next five years. He commended the state government for enacting the law that established KECHEMA describing it as a means of ensuring affordable, accessible, and quality health services to the people of the state.

Dr. Jafar noted that the scheme is in line with the federal government policy of ensuring UHC with much emphasis on Women, Children under five, and elderly in the society.

He further acknowledged with pride the contributions of Journalists in information dissemination, describing the media as one of the seven components of the health system.

Speaking earlier, the USAID IHP state Healthcare Financing Officer, Dr. Aisha Aminu Senchi said the meeting was organized in the realization of the fact that the media professionals are the key to championing most of health-related activities, especially in the context of the laws and the health indices in the state. Dr. Aisha also urged the participant to avail themselves of the opportunity to understand the concept and the skills on health financing for dissemination to the general public.

In his presentation, the USAID IHP state knowledge Management/ Communication Specialist, Faruk Nano Bello highlighted the contributions of IHP including Reductions in child maternal morbidity and mortality, Increase in the capacity of Health systems whether public or private, support PHC and services for Reproductive  Health. Others according to him are family planning, Maternal newborn, child health, Nutrition, and Malaria.

Report by

Mansur Danjuma Sanchi

Media Officer KECHEMA