Group Engages CSOs on Health Insurance in Bauchi

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

A town hall meeting to enlighten people of Bauchi State on the importance of uptake of health insurance or contributory scheme at both national and state levels has been conducted in the state capital.

The meeting was organised by Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) in collaboration with a Bauchi based Civil Society Organisation (CSO), journalists for Public Health and Development Initiative (J4PD) with support from USAID Palladium.

It targeted local CSO, non-governmental organisations, trade unions and traditional leaders, faith based organisations, community based organisations, artisan associations, persons with disabilities among others.

The Programme Manager, CSJ Mr. Martins Eke, said that health contributory scheme has been proven to serve as a pool where huge amount of money can be channeled for effective healthcare service delivery without waiting for government’s budgetary allocation.

Eke stated that the aim of the meeting was to enlighten the public on the need to key into health insurance scheme and do away with out of pocket spending on health matters.

He said that he was optimistic that if a certain percentage of people in the state would embrace the health scheme, it would pave the way for the actualisation of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Eke, who acknowledged that Bauchi State Government has an established health contributory scheme, lamented the low enrollment in all components of formal, informal and the vulnerable programme, calling for more awareness creation towards changing the
narrative.

The Coordinator of J4PD, Ms. Elizabeth Kar, said that as health promoters, members of the organization should took it upon them to join the enlightenment train for the benefit of people in the state.

While appreciating the participants for honouring the invitation, Kar expressed satisfaction over the turn out and hoped that the meeting would change the narrative for the better.

A representative of traditional institution and Dan Iyan Bauchi, Mr. Sulaiman Ahmad Bashir, pledged the institution’s readiness to sensitise more people in the grassroots on the health benefits of the scheme to individuals and families.

He commended the Bauchi State Health Contributory Management Agency (BASHCMA) for its vulnerable programme that is being funded by the Federal Government’s Basic Health Care Provision Fund.