The Kaduna State Contributory Health Management Authority has launched a sensitisation campaign targeting 27,000 private school teachers to enrol in the state’s contributory health scheme.

The director-general of KADCHMA, Abubakar Hassan, said the initiative aims to expand access to affordable healthcare and accelerate universal health coverage across Kaduna State.

Mr Hassan spoke on Tuesday in Kaduna during an engagement with the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools of Nigeria. He said the meeting was organised to educate school owners on the benefits of enrolling their teachers in the contributory health insurance scheme.

According to him, out-of-pocket medical expenses remain a major cause of poverty, particularly among low-income earners and private sector workers.

He said a single illness could wipe out a worker’s income, making health insurance essential for protecting families from financial hardship.

“The scheme guarantees access to quality and affordable healthcare services without exposing beneficiaries to catastrophic medical expenses,” he said.

Mr Hassan said KADCHMA estimates there are about 15,000 private schools across Kaduna State, with a target of enrolling approximately 27,000 teachers.

He explained that teachers were selected as part of the organised private sector because they have established leadership structures that simplify enrollment.

According to him, KADCHMA has already covered public sector workers and is gradually extending the scheme to organised private institutions and vulnerable residents.

He said the authority’s mandate is to ensure every resident of Kaduna State has access to health insurance regardless of employment status.

Mr Hassan said the benefit package was designed through scientific analysis of common illnesses affecting Kaduna residents. He listed malaria, typhoid, ulcer, hypertension and other frequently diagnosed conditions among services covered under the scheme.

The official said the authority ultimately hopes to achieve universal health coverage by eliminating financial barriers to quality healthcare.

The NAPPS national vice-president for the North-West Zone, Jafar Yusuf, described the programme as beneficial to teachers.

Mr Yusuf said the interactive session enabled private school proprietors to understand the scheme and prepare their members for enrollment. He expressed confidence that NAPPS members would participate after receiving detailed explanations from KADCHMA officials.

The Kaduna NAPPS chairman, Busayo Akintunde, described the initiative as a significant welfare policy for private school teachers.

Mr Akintunde said the scheme requires a monthly contribution of only N1,000 while covering illnesses ranging from malaria to caesarean operations. He said private school owners had resolved to enrol their workers to safeguard their health and improve staff welfare.

(NAN)