The Kaduna State Contributory Health Management Authority (KADCHMA) says it has concluded plans to enroll secondary school students into its health insurance scheme.

The authority’s Formal Sector Team Lead, Abubakar Saidu, made this known on Saturday in Zaria, at the close of a two-day Biannual Review Meeting of Media Working Group, organised by the Save the Children International (SCI).

Mr Saidu said the students would be enrolled under KADCHMA Secondary School Health Insurance Programme (S-SHIP), beginning with students in boarding schools.

He said that under the programme, dispensaries in secondary schools would be strengthened to provide health service to students.

He added that during holidays, the students that have been captured would visit the nearest Primary Health Care under the scheme to access services.

According to him, the medical fees being paid by the students will serve as the insurance premium, which would be paid to KADCHMA.

“The aim is to provide access to quality, affordable, equitable healthcare services to all residents of Kaduna State without financial barriers.

“So far, KADCHMA has enrolled 521,096 persons in the health insurance scheme as part of efforts to achieve Universal Health Coverage,” he said.

Earlier, Philip Yatai, the Chairman of the media working group, had explained that the objective of the review meeting was to review successes and challenges of the group in the reportage of issues affecting children.

He reminded media partners of their commitments to give voice to children, influence social and behavioural change through awareness creation and public mobilisation for the protection of children and hold the government to account.

Farouk Abdulkadir, SCI’s Advocacy and Campaign Coordinator, said the meeting was supported under the Gates Advocacy Project and Expanding Social Protection for Inclusive Development Project. 

Mr Abdulkadir explained that the Gates Advocacy project is a four-year health and nutrition advocacy project funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to strengthen health systems.

He added that the ESPID project is funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, to strengthen inclusive social protection systems for overall development.

(NAN)