Health
Health Authority Urges Private Sector To Enroll Poor, Vulnerable As Social Responsibility
By Stella Kabruk
Enrollment
The Kaduna State Contributory Health Management Authority (KADCHMA) on Wednesday urged the organised private sector to prioritise enrolling poor and vulnerable populations within and beyond their operations as a social responsibility.
The State Director General of the authority, Abubakar Hassan, made the appeal during a one day engagement meeting for the dissemination of advocacy brief to the organised private sector.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) report that the meeting seeks to acquaint the organised private sector with the mandate, mission and vision statement of KADCHMA and how to collaborate towards achieving universal health coverage for the poor and vulnerable populations in the state.
The meeting is also aimed at disseminating the developed advocacy brief outlining data driven health performance in the state and presenting key requests towards expanding health insurance coverage for the poor and vulnerable populations to enhance access to health care services.
Hassan said their mandate is to ensure equitable access to quality and affordable healthcare for all residents of Kaduna State, without the burden of financial hardship.
“Our commitment is anchored in the law, which was established by the Authority in 2018 and aligns with the global aspiration pushing Nigeria towards achieving Universal Health Coverage, as well as advancing the Human Capital Development objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals.”
Hassan said since the commencement of its operations, the authority has made significant strides with over 700,000 individuals enrolled into the insurance scheme across the formal, informal, and organised private sectors.
He said the beneficiaries are accessing quality healthcare services across accredited facilities, contributing to improved population health outcomes across the State.
“However, while we acknowledge these achievements, we must also talk about a critical gap; enrolment from the informal sector remains significantly low. This is particularly concerning given that this segment constitutes the largest proportion of our population.
“Without substantial participation from this group, the achievement of Universal Health Coverage will remain a challenge.
“This reality calls for a shift in how we think, plan, and implement.”
He said the informal sector is diverse, dynamic, and often underserved due to barriers to enrollment such as limited awareness and affordability challenges to irregular income patterns, trust deficits, and structural access constraints.
He added that addressing the barriers, require context-specific, people-centred, and innovative solutions.
Hassan lauded valued partners, particularly the Clinton Health Access Initiative, for their collaboration and technical support in convening the stakeholder engagement, adding that their continued partnership and commitment to strengthening health systems and expanding access to care are deeply appreciated.
He stressed the need for innovative and flexible financing models tailored to the realities of informal sector workers, strengthening community-based enrolment approaches that leverage trusted local structures building and sustaining trust through improved service quality, transparency, and accountability.
In her remarks, the State Commissioner for Health, Umma Kaltum-Ahmed said the meeting comes at a critical time as the state continues to advance toward Universal Health Coverage
She appreciated the presence of all stakeholders, adding that their participation reflects a shared commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of the Kaduna State residents.
According to her, the state has made notable progress and one major challenge remaining is ensuring that the poor and vulnerable populations have access to quality and affordable healthcare.
She said KADCHMA has made significant efforts in expanding health insurance coverage and required the organised private sector active participation to scale up.
“Today, we will be sharing key insights from a data-driven advocacy brief, while also exploring practical ways for collaboration—particularly through your Corporate Social Responsibility—to support the enrollment of vulnerable populations into health insurance.
“I encourage you all to actively engage and, most importantly, to make clear and measurable commitments that will translate into real impact for the state’s citizens.
“Together, we can reduce financial hardship, improve access to care, and save lives.”
In a goodwill message, the Executive Chairman Kaduna State internal Revenue Service, Jerry Adams said sustainable healthcare financing is critical to achieving universal health coverage, particularly for the poor and vulnerable in the state.
Represented by the Director of Revenue Service, Asma’u Mora, said that from a revenue perspective, strengthening collaboration between public institutions and the organized private sector is key to expanding the reach and effectiveness of health insurance schemes.
He said the meeting provides the opportunity to align efforts, share ideas, and build commitments that will improve access to quality healthcare for all residents of the state.(NAN)( www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Yakubu Uba
