From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna
The Kaduna State Contributory Health Management Authority (KADCHMA) has launched a strategic grassroots campaign to raise awareness and increase enrollment in the Kaduna State Contributory Health Scheme (KSCHS) across the 11 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the Zazzau Emirate.
Supported by EngenderHealth, the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), and Advantage Health Africa (AHA), the initiative aims to improve community awareness and expand health insurance coverage, particularly among people in the informal sector.
The event, held at the Palace of the Emir of Zazzau in Zaria, featured a live dashboard presentation to His Royal Highness, the Emir of Zazzau, Ambassador Ahmad Nuhu Bamalli, designed to monitor health programmes across the state.
Speaking at the event, KADCHMA Director-General, Mallam Abubakar Hassan, described the campaign as a crucial step towards achieving Universal Health Coverage in Kaduna State.
He emphasised that working with traditional institutions would help the Authority reach communities more effectively because of the trust, influence, and extensive grassroots networks of traditional rulers.
> “To the best of our knowledge, this is the first initiative of its kind in Nigeria where a state health insurance agency is developing a coordinated grassroots health mobilisation campaign anchored on the traditional institution across an entire emirate,” Mallam Hassan said.
He noted that, once developed, the model could be documented, evaluated, and potentially replicated in Kaduna State and other parts of the country.
According to him, traditional institutions have structures that extend from the Emirate Council to District Heads, Village Heads, and community leaders, making them key partners in increasing enrollment at the local level.
Mallam Hassan also highlighted the importance of expanding health insurance coverage among people in the informal sector to reduce the burden of catastrophic out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, particularly for farmers, traders, artisans, small business owners, and transport workers.
He called on stakeholders to develop a practical and measurable campaign with clear roles for the Emirate Council, District Heads, Village Heads, community leaders, KADCHMA, and local government authorities.
The plan includes targeted messaging, specific enrollment targets, clearly defined responsibilities, and effective monitoring mechanisms across the 11 LGAs.
The KADCHMA Director-General expressed appreciation to EngenderHealth, CHAI, AHA, and other development partners for their support, while commending the Emir of Zazzau and the Zazzau Emirate Council for their commitment to the initiative.
Responding, the Emir of Zazzau, Ambassador Ahmad Nuhu Bamalli, commended KADCHMA for recognising the importance of traditional institutions as partners in healthcare development.
He assured the Authority and other organisations working to improve healthcare delivery of the continued support of the Zazzau Emirate.
The Emir urged members of the Zazzau Traditional Council, District Heads, philanthropists, and other stakeholders to actively support enrollment in the KSCHS.
As a demonstration of his commitment, Ambassador Bamalli pledged to personally support the enrollment of 100 beneficiaries in the scheme.
The event was attended by members of the Zazzau Traditional Council, District Heads, development partners, and other stakeholders committed to improving access to quality and affordable healthcare.
Officials said the initiative is expected to strengthen grassroots mobilisation, increase enrollment in the health insurance scheme, and contribute significantly to Kaduna State’s efforts to achieve Universal Health Coverage.
Never miss a moment! Get the stories shaping Nigeria, delivered straight to your phone. Follow Peoplesdaily Newspaper on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive reports, and the headlines everyone will be talking about, before anyone else.
