No fewer than 20 million Nigerians have been targeted annually to be brought under health insurance nationwide over the course of ten years.
National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Executive Secretary, Prof Mohammed Sambo, who disclosed this at a ceremony to mark the kick-off of enrollment of beneficiaries in Jigawa State noted that the BHCPF was part of the overall effort to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030.
A statement by Emmanuel Ononokpono, NHIS Head, Media and Public Relations, quoted Sambo as saying that through the program, the vulnerable population has affordable access to minimum health care.
He said that the BHCPF which is provided for in section 11 of the National Health Act of 2014 guarantees the application of 1% of Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) for funding of primary health care.
According to Sambo, the commencement of enrollment of beneficiaries under the BHCPF is a strong indication of the commitment of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to tenets of the next level agenda on health, noting that the implementation of the National Health Act, signed into law in 2014, only began under the watch of the current administration in 2019.
Sambo further disclosed that the Scheme which is one of the implementing agencies of the fund was now properly positioned and equipped to provide effective oversight of the programme guided by the ongoing reforms of its operations.
On his part, the governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar who was represented by his deputy, Malam Umar Namadi said that the commencement of enrollment was an important milestone in the pursuit of quality health care for citizens of the state, maintaining that the state government was committed to raising the health indices of its population.
Namadi who retired from NHIS as General Manager in 2014 stated that the Jigawa State government had granted sponsorship to 60 citizens of the state to study medicine in China to bridge the human resource gap in the health care delivery system of the state, adding that the second batch of trainees is waiting in line to benefit from the medical course.